Five Muslim pedestrians deliberately hit by driver, four dead, in alleged hate attack in London, Ont. - G&M
08 Jun 2021 EWR Online
Photo: CARLOS OSORIO/REUTERS
Police say a 20-year-old London, Ont., man deliberately struck down five members of a Muslim family with his truck in a hate-motivated act of mass murder, an attack that prompted an outpouring of grief and calls for the accused to face terrorism charges.
The family of five had been out for an evening walk, and were waiting to cross the street when police say the truck mounted the curb and struck them.
Four of the family members – a 74-year-old woman, a 46-year-old man, a 44-year-old woman and a 15- year-old girl – died on Sunday evening. The lone survivor, a nine-year-old boy, remains in hospital. Police did not release the names of the victims citing the family’s request for privacy. The Globe and Mail has not been able to confirm their identities.
Relatives of the family posted an official statement late Monday to a fundraising website.
That statement, confirmed by family friend Saboor Khan, was signed by the Afzaal family. It says that the victims of the attack “were always there giving and participating in spreading goodness.”
The statement adds that God “gave Salman [the father] Madiha [the mother] Yumna [the daughter] and Yumna’s grandmother the ultimate rank of a shaheed [martyr] while Fayez [the son] is on the road to recovery from serious injuries.”
The statement called upon Canadians and “the highest levels in our governments” to take a stand against the extremism that allegedly motivated the attack.
The mayor of London, Ont. says a family of five Muslims out for an evening early summer stroll were struck by a driver in an 'act of mass murder.' Police say the horrific incident on June 6 left four of them dead and a boy with serious injuries.
Minutes after the collision, Nathaniel Veltman was arrested after a police chase, in a shopping mall parking lot seven kilometres away. He faces four charges of first-degree murder and one of attempted murder. Authorities say they are weighing whether to pursue terrorism charges.
