The family of the mentally disturbed driver accused of killing at least 11 people at a Vancouver block party Saturday tried to get him help just hours before he allegedly plowed through the crowd of festival-goers, a report revealed Sunday as police identified the suspect as Kai-Ji Adam Lo.
Lo, a Vancouver resident whose brother was killed last year, is facing eight charges of second-degree murder so far after his alleged rampage at the Lapu Lapu Day festival — a celebration of the Filipino community – Saturday night, according to a report.
The 30-year-old was arrested at the scene by authorities and was “known” to law enforcement and mental health care professionals before he allegedly carried out his deadly attack, Vancouver police said.
The alleged killer has a history of mental health problems and a family member even called a hospital psych ward seeking help for Lo only hours before the attack, sources told the Vancouver Sun.
It’s believed he was suffering from delusions and paranoia, though it’s unclear what action was taken after the call was made, the Canadian outlet reported.
Because of the mental illness, investigators believe the destructive driving was not terror-related, cops previously said.
Lo suffered heartbreak last year when his 31-year-old brother, Alexander, was murdered on Jan. 28, 2024, the publication also reported.
His body was found in a home in Vancouver and a 39-year-old man was arrested at that house and later hit with second-degree murder charges, the Vancouver Sun reported. More details about the murder were not released by investigators.
“Our reality has abruptly shifted. Despite our disagreements, the harsh truth that he’s no longer with us hits me with an overwhelming force,” Lo wrote following his brother’s death in a fundraising page dedicated to paying for funeral costs.
Lo wrote months later that his mother tried to take her own life in an update on the fundraising page.
In addition to the 11 people killed in the Saturday horror, dozens more were injured as Lo allegedly rammed into the crowded party. The youngest fatal victim was just 5 years old.
“The charge assessment is ongoing and further charges are anticipated,” Vancouver police said.
There were no interactions between police and the alleged perp “immediately leading up to this event,” Vancouver Police Chief Steve Rai said Sunday.
“This is the darkest day in our city’s history,” he added.
Lo has appeared in court and will remain in custody, according to authorities.
Follow the latest on the Vancouver festival attack
The victims killed in the attack range from 5 to 65 years old.
The chaotic scene unfolded around 8 p.m. just as the block party was coming to a close and organizers started taking down barriers blocking off a street filled with hundreds of festival-goers.
Lo allegedly used the opening and raced down the street in a black SUV, plowing through the crowds and sending helpless victims flying.
“[He] just slammed the pedal down and rammed into hundreds of people,” festivalgoer Kris Pangilinan told CBC.
“It was like seeing a bowling ball hit — all the bowling pins and all the pins flying up in the air.”
