2018 Toronto van attack
April 2018 vehicular ramming attack in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
On April 23, 2018, a vehicle-ramming attack occurred when a rented van was driven along Yonge Street through the North York City Centre business district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The driver, 25-year-old Alek Minassian, targeted pedestrians, killing 11 and injuring 15, some critically. The attack started at the intersection of Yonge Street and Finch Avenue and proceeded south along the sidewalks of Yonge Street to near Sheppard Avenue. Nine of the eleven killed were women. The perpetrator was arrested just south of the crime scene, after exiting his vehicle and attempting to commit suicide by cop.
The attack was labelled by some as misogynist terrorism because Minassian claimed to be an incel seeking revenge for perceived rejection by women, following the lead of Elliot Rodger. Minassian pleaded not criminally responsible to the initial 10 counts of first-degree murder and 16 counts of attempted murder, but was found guilty on all counts. The presiding judge stated that pinpointing Minassian's exact motive was "close to impossible", but expert testimony suggested a desire for notoriety. In June 2022, Minassian was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole for 25 years.
Attack
On April 4, 2018, Minassian reserved a van by phone from the Ryder rental outlet in Concord, Vaughan, with the pickup scheduled for April 23.
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