By Promod Puri

On a balmy Saturday, we had planned to join Vancouver’s Filipino community in celebrating the Lapu Lapu Festival. For some reason, we missed it. This morning, scrolling through Facebook, I was shaken to read the tragic news: a lunatic, for reasons still unclear, rammed his car into the festive crowd, killing 11 people and injuring dozens more.

A 30-year-old man is now in custody. Was it terrorism, racism, or pure madness? Right now, no one knows. What we do know is that a joyous celebration has been shattered into grief and mourning.

In recent years, SUVs and other heavy vehicles seem to have become twisted tools of mass violence, turning lively streets into scenes of unimaginable horror. Until now, Vancouver had been spared. No longer.

At this moment, all we can do is extend our deepest condolences to the families and pray for the souls lost in this senseless tragedy.

Promod Puri is a veteran journalist and author based in South Vancouver.