Canada: Vigil at mosque honours victims of Ontario attack

A vigil will be held Tuesday evening in London, Ontario, to show support for the city's Muslim community and honour the lives of four family members who were killed on Sunday in what police said was a premeditated attack because of their faith. The attack has shaken Canada, a country where immigrants are largely accepted, and drew denunciations Tuesday from Canada's prime minister, who called it a hate crime directed at Muslims.

"Islamophobia is real. Racism is real," Trudeau said at a vigil at the mosque where the family worshipped in their hometown of London, Ontario. "You should not have to face that hate in your communities, in your country," he said. "We can and we will act." The victims - two parents, two children and a grandmother - were on an evening walk when the driver of a truck struck them at an intersection in London.

The sole survivor was a 9-year-old boy, who was hospitalized. The victims' extended family issued a statement identifying the dead as Salman Afzal, 46; his wife Madiha, 44; their daughter Yumna, 15; and a 74-year-old grandmother whose name was withheld. The hospitalized boy was identified as the couple's son, Fayez. Friends said the family immigrated to Canada 14 years ago.

"There are no words that can ease the grief of having three generations murdered in their neighborhood. There are no words that can undo the pain and, yes, the anger of this community," Trudeau said. "You are not alone. All Canadians mourn with you and stand with you tonight and always, he said.

A 20-year-old suspect, Nathaniel Veltman, was arrested in the parking lot of a nearby mall. He was facing four counts of first-degree murder. Police were inside the suspect’s London apartment on Tuesday. Police said Veltman did not know the victims. Authorities said it was not clear if he belonged to any specific hate group, but that local police were working with federal authorities to investigate potential terrorism charges.

He said the attack was planned. Flowers were placed around a light pole and a tree where the truck crossed onto the sidewalk. London Mayor Ed Holder has said flags would be lowered for three days in the city, which he said has 30,000 to 40,000 Muslims among its more than 400,000 residents. Canada is generally welcoming toward immigrants and all religions, but in 2017 a French Canadian man known for far-right, nationalist views went on a shooting rampage at a Quebec City mosque that killed six people.