TORONTO ATTACK
What happened in the Toronto van attack, who were the victims and where is Yonge and Finch?
AT least ten people have been killed in Toronto, Canada, after a vehicle mounted the pavement and ploughed into pedestrians on April 23, 2018.
The driver has been named by police as 25-year-old Alek Minassian, who was not known to authorities beforehand. Here’s what happened.
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What happened in the Toronto van attack?
A white rental van mounted the pavement on Yonge Street, North Toronto, between Finch Avenue and Sheppard Avenue at around 1.30pm local time (5.30pm BST) on April 23, 2018.
The vehicle ploughed into pedestrians along a 1.25 mile stretch of road, repeatedly mounting the pavement in a deliberate act of violence.
Witnesses say the driver rammed into people, fire hydrants and mail boxes during his rampage.
Pictures from the scene show bodies covered in orange sheets along the route of the carnage.
Debris and clothing was also seen scattered across both the pavements and main road.
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Who were the victims?
Ten people were killed during the Toronto van attack and at 14 others were injured.
A woman pushing a stroller and elderly members of the public were reportedly among those flung into the air by the speeding rental truck.
According to the , Toronto Councillor Cesar Palacio identified a victim as Anne Marie D’Amico during a brief council meeting on Tuesday morning at City Hall.
Palacio, who is a friend of the D’Amico family, said her father Rocco "was living the worst nightmare".
Tennis Canada said D’Amico had been working at Rogers Cup since age 12 and was “voted volunteer of the year in 2016", adding: "She was always smiling, had the biggest heart and always put other people’s needs ahead of her own."
Meanwhile, the grandson of Dorothy Sewell confirmed on Facebook that she was one of the 10 people killed in the attack, saying: "(She was) the best grandmother anyone could have asked for.”
Another victim of the van attack was identified by Jordan’s state-run Petra news agency as Munair Najjar, who was in Toronto visiting family.
Copacabana Brazilian Steakhouse worker Chul Min “Eddie” Kang was also killed, the restaurant said.
A South Korean news agency cited government officials as saying two Korean nationals were also among those killed.
And the Toronto District School Board said on Wednesday that employee and single mother of a seven year old Renuka Amarasingha had died in the van attack.
Seneca College in Toronto said a female student was also among those killed, but didn’t provide further details.
Thirteen of the injured were named in initial court documents. They are: Sammantha Samson, Samantha Peart, Morgan McDougall, Mavis Justino, Catherine Riddell, Aleksandra Kozhevinikova, Amir Kiumarsi, Yunsheng Tian, Jun Seok Park, Amaresh Tesfamariam, Beverly Smith, Robert Anderson, and So Ra.
Where is Yonge and Finch?
Yonge Street is often described as Toronto’s most famous street.
Approximately 35 miles long, it originates at the northern shore of Toronto Bay at Queens Quay, and ends at the Holland River at the southern end of Lake Simcoe.
Yonge Street intersects with Finch Avenue in North York, a suburban district of Toronto.
Police were called to the area of Yonge Street and Finch Avenue at 1.30pm local time following reports of a vehicle mounting the kerb and travelling southbound towards Sheppard Avenue.
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Who is Alek Minassian?
Suspect Alek Minassian has been described as "socially awkward", with the 25-year-old's LinkedIn profile confirming he is a student at Seneca College.
It also listed him as a software developer who was working on a number of apps - including one to find parking spots in the area.
College pals have described Minassian as "socially awkward".
Joseph Pham, 25, who took a computer programming class with Minassian at Seneca told : "He kept to himself. He didn’t really talk to anyone."
Another classmate said he had a "significant social or mental disability" claiming he had several physical ticks including shaky hands and tapping his head.
Minassian is thought to have been furious at young women for making him an "involuntary celibate" and praised murderer Elliot Rodger.
Where is Minassian from?
The student is from Richmond Hill - a northern suburb of Toronto.
There has been some speculation online that Minassian may be Armenian because of his surname but no details have been released.
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Has Alek Minassian been charged?
Minassian has now been charged with 10 counts of first-degree murder and 13 counts of attempted murder.
He appeared briefly in court at 1000 Finch Ave W, the day after the attack wearing a white jumpsuit and with his hands cuffed behind him in the prisoner’s box.
He gave his name very quickly in court.
Minassian’s eyes darted around as he listened to what the duty counsel was saying, but he wore a stony-faced expression for the duration of the hearing.
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