Tell us: What do you love about Toronto? Do you feel safe after the attack?
Canada’s largest city is reeling from a van attack that left 10 people dead and at least 15 others injured.
On Monday, a van mounted the curb near the busy intersection of Yonge Street and Finch Avenue in the city’s north end, slamming into pedestrians who were on the sidewalk.
Alek Minassian, 25, has been charged with 10 counts of first-degree murder in connection with the attack, along with 13 counts of attempted murder.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the attack “senseless” and said it was “a horrific tragedy,” according to The Canadian Press.
A motive for the attack has not yet emerged, and Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale says there is nothing to suggest Canada’s national security is under threat, and the terror level will not be raised.
“Police are obviously going to be very busy today and the days ahead to examine all the circumstances and the background to this situation, to determine exactly what happened and why. And they will have full support from the government of Canada,” Goodale said.
On Monday, Trudeau said Canadians can’t respond to the attack by living “in fear every single day as we go about our daily business,” according to Huffpost Canada.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said Canadians must not let the attack “sow hate or division” among each other, Huffpost Canada reports.
“Toronto, like Canada, is strong, diverse, loving and courageous, and this event will not change that,” Singh said in a press release. “We will come together, we will mourn, we will seek justice, and we will remain strong.”
There have been a number of van attacks around the world in recent years. There was one in Edmonton just last year. In October 2017, a police officer was hit by a car and stabbed outside the Edmonton Eskimos game. Following that attack, several people were hit by a U-Haul truck.
Thirteen people were killed and dozens of others were injured in Barcelona when a van plowed into a crowd walking along the city’s busy Las Ramblas avenue, a popular spot for tourists.
While Trudeau highlighted the need for Canadians not to live in fear, he also pointed out the need to “keep Canadians safe.”
Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer did the same.
“The safety and security of Canadians must e the number one priority of any government and the individual responsible for this horrific attack must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Scheer said in a statement.
Do you feel safe in your city after the Toronto van attack? Let us know by voting in our poll above.
With that in mind, what do you love most about Toronto? Let us know in the comments.
With files from HuffPost Canada
