By Harinder Mahil

Many publications have written about the tragedy that took place on Saturday, May 26 in Vancouver when a man drove an SUV into a crowd at the Lapu Lapu Day festival killing 11 people and injuring many more. 

This was a senseless and heartbreaking act of violence. I was heartbroken to learn of the accident which claimed the lives of so many people. There are no words that can truly ease the pain of such profound loss to victims’ families and the Filipino community.

The driver, Kai-Ji Adam Lo, has been charged with eight counts of second-degree murder. Vancouver Police Department have stated that they may add additional charges. Police said the suspect was known to them prior to the attack.

Organisers of the annual Lapu Lapu festival said the city’s tight-knit Filipino community is grieving and the attack’s impact will be felt for years to come.It has become clear now that the suspect has had many interactions with the police. Most of the interactions appear to be in connection with mental health issues.

Many politicians, including Premier David Eby and Prime Minister Mark Carney, have spoken about the tragedy and expressed grief. 

Many in the community are still shocked and trying to understand why such a tragedy happened in Vancouver. We take pride in the fact that people of various backgrounds live in Vancouver and get along with one another.

Although this was a festival organized by the Filipino community, it could have been any other community. We have recently had Baisakhi Parades in Vancouver and Surrey which were attended by hundreds of thousands of people. Any community could have been a victim of such a tragedy. 

What can we do so that this will never happen again? There appear to be two areas that require attention. The first one is: what steps can be taken by our governments and various police departments to make such events safe for everyone. The second area is that of support for persons with mental health challenges.

There is no doubt that police and all levels of governments must pay attention to the safety of people whenever a large number of people attend various festivals.

The second area requires much more attention. I am asking the same question as many others: if this driver who killed 11 people and injured many more had more than 50 interactions with the police, what was done to help him. What steps were taken so that he would not injure himself and others in the community?

The provincial government closed a number of mental institutions such as Riverview in Coquitlam many years ago. The prevailing wisdom was that persons with mental health challenges should be provided appropriate resources so that they can adjust to living in the community. It is obvious that this has not happened.

Recently, the provincial government has announced that it has opened 10 beds under an involuntary treatment program at South Fraser pretrial centre. This will not be enough. Much more needs to be done to keep persons suffering from mental health challenges safe and keep the community safe. 

It is also important that we do not stigmatize persons with mental health challenges as it is estimated that about 11 percent of British Columbia’s population suffers from one or the other mental health challenge. Most of us know someone in our own circle of friends who needs help because of a mental health challenge.

We should not see every person suffering from a mental health disability as someone who would do what this driver did. Let us be compassionate and caring in dealing with the issue and still take steps to protect ourselves and support those who need help.

Harinder Mahil is a human rights activist and is secretary of Dr. Hari Sharma Foundation.