France 24 | April 25, 2018
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a press conference Tuesday that the deadly van attack in Toronto had not changed the country’s threat level or security preparations for the G7 summit in June, adding that Canadians must not live in fear.
Speaking to reporters outside of parliament, Trudeau said it would take time before the motives of the attacker were understood, but that all Canadians stood with Toronto in the wake of the attack, which killed 10 and injured 15 others.
The suspect Alex Minassian, 25, was charged with 10 counts of premeditated murder on Tuesday.
Trudeau added that Canada will do whatever it can to keep its citizens safe, while staying true to its values.
“We cannot as Canadians choose to live in fear every single day as we go about our daily business,” the prime minister said.
Monday’s incident is the worst mass killing in Canada in decades.
Minassian, who was not previously known to authorities, attended a high school program where one classmate remembered him as “absolutely harmless”.
People left flowers at a makeshift memorial, which grew as commuters returned to work Tuesday morning. Blank white posters left against a stone wall were covered with messages.
The Canadian flag was lowered to half-staff at parliament and at Toronto city hall.
The officer who apprehended Minassian was praised for making a peaceful arrest even as the suspect shouted “Kill me” and claimed to have a gun.