Lapu Lapu Day Tragedy in Vancouver – Resources
A celebration turned tragedy in Vancouver on Saturday night at the Lapu Lapu Day Festival. Police have confirmed eleven people have died after a man drove through a crowd.
Our thoughts are with all those affected by this devastating incident, and our hearts go out to the Filipino community.
Lapu Lapu Day Tragedy in Vancouver – Resources
Lapu Lapu Day is named after an Indigenous resistance fighter in the Philippines who fought against Spanish colonization in the 16th Century. The incident happened shortly after 8:00pm near East 41st Avenue and Fraser Street, where the Lapu Lapu Day Block Party was winding down, after drawing up to 100,000 people through the day.
Police said they had arrested a 30-year-old Vancouver man at the scene, who was “known” to them. The suspect was initially chased down and held by people at the scene. A number of people were also injured.
Police added that the suspect had “significant history of interactions” with police and health-care professionals.
CBC Vancouver has comprehensive coverage here. Vancouver Coastal Health told The Canadian Press it had confirmed a “code orange,” indicating a mass casualty event. Canadian Blood Services is not open on Sundays but will be open Monday if you would like to make an appointment to donate by calling 1-888-236-6283.
24-Hour Assistance Centre
A 24-hour assistance centre has been established at the Douglas Park Community Centre, 801 West 22nd Avenue. Vancouver Police officers and Victim Services professionals have been deployed to help anyone who has not been able to contact a loved who was at the Lapu Lapu Festival. If you are not able to attend in person, VPD asks that you please call 604-717-3321.
Victims Services
VictimLinkBC is a toll-free, confidential, multilingual service available across BC and the Yukon 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and can be accessed by calling or texting 1-800-563-0808 or sending an email to [email protected]. You can also call the 310 Mental Health Line at 310-6789 or Crisis Line at 1-800-784-2433.
Ongoing Investigation
Organizers Filipino BC will be sharing more resources in the coming days. The investigation is ongoing and is being led the Vancouver Police Department’s Major Crime Section. Anyone with information is asked to call 604-717-2500.
This post will be updated as more information about fundraisers or resources become available. If you are so moved, you can contribute to the development of the Filipino Community & Cultural Centre in Vancouver.
Prayer Vigil
There is a community prayer vigil being hosted by Migrante BC and BAYAN BC on April 27th at 10:30 at St. Mary the Virgin Anglican Church (808 East 50th Avenue).
