Either it was deliberate, in which case in addition to being horrible it should be a warning to jihadis and their supporters of the odds they face should the native populace be roused against them, or the driver is being grossly overcharged just because the victims are Muslim. [IsraelTimes] A family of five who were struck by a vehicle were targeted because they were Moslems, Canadian police said Monday.
Four members of the family were killed in the incident and one remains in the hospital.
The incident occurred Sunday evening when a truck plowed into the group of pedestrians.
"This was an act of mass murder perpetuated against Moslems," London, Ontario Mayor Ed Holder said. "It was rooted in unspeakable hatred. The magnitude of such hatred can make one question who we were as a city."
Police in London, Ontario said the victims are a 74-year-old woman, a 46-year-old man, a 44-year-old woman, and a 15-year-old girl.
A 9-year-old boy remains in hospital at death's door. The family requested the names not be released.
A man is under arrest and faces four counts of first-degree murder.
Police said suspect Nathaniel Veltman, 20, a resident of London, Ontario, did not know his victims. Police said a black pick up truck mounted a curve and struck the victims at an intersection.
"We believe the victims were targeted because of their Islamic faith," London Police Chief Stephen Williams said.
"We understand that this event may cause fear and anxiety in the community, particularly in the Moslem community, in any community targeted by hate," he said. "There is no tolerance in this community who are motivated by hate target others with violence."
Police said arrested the suspect man in the parking lot of a nearby mall.
A family friend, Zahid Khan, told the News Agency that Dare Not be Named that the four were a grandmother, father, mother and teenage daughter.
Khan said the family had immigrated from Pakistain 14 years ago and were dedicated members of a local mosque. "They were just out for their walk that they would go out for every day," he said near the site of the crash. |