A 25-year-old man driving a rented van in Toronto mowed down 10 pedestrians in broad daylight on Monday and injured another 15. He was finally arrested by a police officer who showed exemplary courage when he talked the suspect into surrender without resorting to any form of violence. The police are interrogating the man and are trying to ascertain his motive.
BBC reports that the suspect is a local and the Attack appeared to be deliberate. He drove the van over a stretch of nearly 1.24 miles (2 kilometers), mounted the pavement several times and knocked people down.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has described the attack as not only tragic but mindless.
The motive is a mystery
There have been similar vehicle mounted attacks in the past in Nice, London and New York City and they are usually associated with terror modules but in this case, the picture is hazy. The man has been identified as belonging to Richmond Hill. In the opinion of Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders, the actions that led to the death of pedestrians appear to have been deliberate.
The police officer who arrested the suspect without firing a single shot has been praised for his presence of mind and for keeping his cool. He literally talked the man, who claimed to be armed, into surrender after a tense standoff.
The man is not known to have links to any terror group.
Vehicle mounted attacks
Terrorist groups have launched vehicle mounted attacks in large cities like Nice, New York City and London. They have resorted to this method to keep the people terrorized and the authorities always on edge. However, the attack in Toronto may not have links to terrorism.
The first such attack was in Nice on Bastille Day 2016. According to NBC News, the attack killed 85 people who had come to enjoy the festivities. The attacker was shot dead by the police.
Then came the one in New York City. CNN reports that the man rented a truck and used it to mow down eight people on a busy bicycle path in Manhattan, New York City in October 2017.
The suspect was a man from Uzbekistan who had been living in the US since 2010 and had links to ISIS.
London was another target. Sky News reported that three ISIS terrorists killed eight people on London Bridge and injured at least 50 others. The attack happened last year when the men drove a white van into pedestrians on the bridge. The attackers wore false suicide belts and were shot and killed by police at the scene.
