Toronto van attack: Remembering those who died 6 years later

It was a warm spring day in Toronto on April 23, 2018, when a man drove a rental van onto Yonge Street’s sidewalk around lunchtime and plowed through clusters of pedestrians between Hendon and Poyntz Avenues.

He killed 10 people and injured 16. Within a week, the Toronto Police Service and Ontario’s chief coroner had officially named the 10 who died. They were:

Sohe Chung, 22, a student at the University of Toronto who worked at Holt Renfrew. Her colleague, Dianne Sullivan, started a movement she called "the Sohe effect," to keep her traits alive by being kinder, more patient and less critical.

Anne Marie D'Amico, 30, worked at the U.S.-based investment management firm Invesco. Friends say she lived with a lighthearted spirit that could make a room come apart with laughter. The Anne Marie D'Amico Foundation was established to honour her memory, and to date, has raised over $1 million.

Betty Forsyth, 94, was described as a walking library, family historian and a good friend to birds and squirrels. She hated politics, but loved ripping politicians.

Chul Min (Eddie) Kang, 45, was with his wife for nearly 20 years, and together they built a life in Canada. He worked as a cook at Copacabana Brazilian Steakhouse in Toronto, where workers say he brought joy everyday.

Munir Najjar, 85, was a Jordanian citizen visiting Toronto to see his children. He reportedly called his daughter everyday, urging her to explore Canada, a country she had moved to just the year before.

Ji Hun Kim, 22, was a South Korean international student at Seneca College. She was often seen with a smile on her face and was called "a force of positivity and happiness."

Dorothy Sewell, 80, enjoyed going for long drives with her best friend and sister Joan Begg. They lived for sports, watching the Toronto teams play, while on the phone with each other.

Renuka Amarasingha, a single mother, who was working her first day on a job with nutrition services as part of the Toronto District School Board.

Andrea Bradden, 33 of Woodbridge, Ont, was set to become a godmother the month after the attack to her two-month old nephew. She had a smile that "could light up any room," her friends say.

Geraldine Brady, 83, of Toronto, taught her daughter, Janice Kirby, to think the best of people. Kirby says she had planned to stop by to see her mom after work that day.

In 2021, a court found Alek Minassian, who claimed to be angered by women who wouldn't sleep with him and was radicalized on the internet, guilty of 10 counts of first-degree murder and 16 counts of attempted murder.

Six years later, relatives of those who died and the injured survivors and their families — have been working to recover and adapt to their new realities.

In a local park, a modest plaque provides one small reminder of the rampage that left 10 dead and 16 injured that day. A permanent city memorial is still in the works.

The senseless tragedy brought victims and Torontonians together, leading to the formation of the We Love Willowdale organization.

Originally formed to support victims, their families and affected community members, it's evolved to have a broader mandate of maintaining the community connections forged in the aftermath of the attack. It has since joined the NeighbourLink North York charity, a report by CBC states.

"It goes back to that day where suddenly the eyes of the world were on our community," says Sebastian Biasucci, NeighbourLink North York's marketing and event manager looking back to that day.

"Some people remember like it was yesterday and for some it feels distant."