Police in Ontario, Canada said that a driver deliberately attacked a family because they were Muslims, causing 4 deaths and a 9-year-old boy severely injured. He was condemned as “unspeakable acts of hatred” and Islamophobia.

According to a Canadian news media report on Monday, the victims were all members of the same family while waiting to cross the road in London, about 200 kilometers (124 miles) southwest of Toronto.

According to the police, the victims were two women aged 77 and 44, a 46-year-old man and a 15-year-old girl. A nine-year-old boy was also seriously injured and is recovering in the hospital. The local authorities did not release the names of the victims.

“There is evidence that this was a planned and premeditated act out of hatred. It is believed that these victims were targeted because they were Muslims,” ??Paul Waight, chief of the London Police Department, said at a press conference. . Report By City News.

At the time of the attack, people were increasingly worried about Islamophobic attacks in Canadian provinces and widely called on the authorities to address racism, hate-motivated violence, and the prevalence of far-right groups.

I was shocked by the news from London, Ontario. For the relatives of those who were intimidated by yesterday’s hateful behavior, we are here to serve you. We are also here for the children who stay in the hospital-our hearts are with you, when you recover, we will think of you.

-Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) June 7, 2021

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was “shocked” by what he called “acts of hatred” and said that his heart is with the victims’ relatives, including the surviving little boy.

“For the Muslim community in London and Muslims across the country, please know that we stand with you. Islamophobia has no place in any of our communities. This hatred is sinister and despicable-it must stop,” Trudeau wrote on Twitter.

The local police said in a statement that a 20-year-old suspect identified as Nathaniel Veltman has been arrested. statement Earlier Monday. According to Global News, he was charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder.

“There is no known connection between the suspect and the victim,” White said.

‘Sadness will deepen’

Kazi Khalil, a friend of the family, told the Canadian News Agency that the last time he saw them was on Thursday. “This completely destroyed me from the inside,” Khalil said. “I really can’t accept the condition that they are no longer here.”

The national advocacy organization Canadian Muslim National Council said the deadly attack was “shocking.”

“This is a terrorist attack on Canadian territory and should be treated as such. We call on the government to prosecute the attacker to the maximum extent permitted by the law, including considering allegations of terrorism,” said Mustafa Faruk, chief executive of the group. (Mustafa Farooq) said in a statement on Monday.

“Because of Islamophobia, we have lost a family, we have lost a child in our community-this is a kind of sadness that will last for a long time. But let this sadness be the basis for us to support justice and support change.”

Statistics Canada Say In March, police reports of hate crimes against Muslims “increased slightly” to 181 in 2019—the last year for which data is available. This is an increase from the 166 incidents in the previous year.

In recent months, Muslim women in Alberta have been the target of multiple verbal and physical abuse incidents.

In September, 58-year-old Mohamed-Aslim Zafis was stabbed to death outside a mosque in Toronto’s West End, where he served as a caretaker.This prompted calls for the authorities to take threats Extreme right violence Investigate the attack more seriously Driven by hatred.

The Muslim community in Canada is still Mass shootings in January 2017 In a mosque in Quebec City, six Muslim men were killed and many others were injured.

Three days of mourning

The Mayor of London, Ed Holder, stated that he ordered the lowering of the flag outside City Hall for three days. Holder said in a statement: “Let me be clear: this is a mass murder against Muslims-against Londoners-rooted in unspeakable hatred.”

“This unspeakable act of hatred, this Islamophobic act, [sic] It must be accompanied by acts of sympathy, acts of kindness, acts of sympathy, acts of solidarity-justice-and most importantly love. “

Ontario Governor Doug Ford also expressed his condolences on Twitter on Monday. “Hate and Islamophobia have no place in Ontario. Justice must be done for the terrible acts of hatred that took place yesterday in London, Ontario,” he wrote.

Emergencies: The National Council of Muslims in Canada (NCCM) was shocked and demanded justice after a Muslim family in London, Ontario, was out for a walk on Sunday night when it was attacked by a terrible hate-motivated car. pic.twitter.com/o1wXqjpnRb

-NCCM (@nccm) June 7, 2021

Canadian Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan said that he was “shocked to learn that four Muslim Canadians were killed in a despicable Islamophobic attack in London, Ontario.”

“Three generations of a family disappeared in an instant. This kind of universal hatred is too common in our country. We need to unite and end all forms of hatred.”

The leader of the opposition New Democratic Party (NDP), Jagmeet Singh, also condemned the attack. “They were murdered because of their faith,” Singh wrote on Twitter. “More than ever, we must stand with our Muslim family, friends and neighbors against this vile hatred. “