Van attack carnage in Toronto; NYPD monitoring probe
NEW YORK (FOX5NY.COM) - A van jumped a curb and ran down pedestrians in Toronto, Canada, on Monday. At least 10 people are dead and 15 people are hurt. The van sped off right after the carnage, but police soon found it several blocks away and took the driver, Alex Minassian, 25, into custody.
Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders said, "the actions definitely look deliberate" but detectives are investigating possible motives.
Minister of Public Safety Ralph Goodale called the event "horrendous" but said it does not appear to be related to a national security threat.
Nevertheless, the NYPD is taking note of what happened in Canada, as it does after other prominent incidents around the world. An NYPD official said the Intelligence Bureau and Joint Terrorism Task Force are "monitoring developments in Toronto."
"Additional counterterror officers have been deployed to high profile locations in and around the City out of an abundance of caution and until more is learned about today's events," Deputy Commissioner Phil Walzak said in a statement. "At this point in time, there is no known nexus to New York City."
Witnesses in Toronto told reporters that the van was going about 35 mph when it drove onto the sidewalk and slammed into people.
"It is anticipated that investigators will be on scene for several days, leading to road closures," Toronto Police tweeted. "Acting Chief Peter Yuen says all available police resources have been deployed to this scene and to maintain continuity of police services across the city."
Canada's prime minister tweeted condolences Monday afternoon.
"Our thoughts are with all those affected by the terrible incident at Yonge and Finch in Toronto," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Twitter account posted. "Thank you to the first responders working at the scene – we're monitoring the situation closely."