Vancouver mayor calls for event safety review after car plows into crowd at festival

Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim spoke to media Sunday afternoon, addressing the deadly car-ramming tragedy at a Filipino festival Saturday.

Sim says he is “completely heartbroken” by the event that left 11 people dead, with victims ranging in age from five to 65, and multiple others injured.

“I’m shocked and I’m angry,” he said.

“And I’m devastated by the lives that have been lost and the pain that’s been inflicted on our community.”

Sim says he has received a comprehensive briefing from the Vancouver Police Department and city hall staff.

“As a result, I’ve directed a full review of our event safety measures, including barriers, traffic control, and safety protocols. Our first priority is and will always be protecting the residents of Vancouver,” he said.

“Our first priority is and will always be protecting the residents of Vancouver.”

He says while many of us may be fearful and uneasy right now, Vancouver is still a safe city.

“We have over 3,000 events and festivals per year in our city, the vast majority happening without incident whatsoever,” he said.

Sim reiterated that this was not an act of terrorism and that the individual arrested has a significant history of mental health issues.

— With files from Angelyna Mintz