Canadian Man Charged With Terrorism for Truck Attack Against Muslims

Prosecutors in Canada say a man accused of deliberately killing a Muslim family with his truck will face terrorism charges in addition to those for murder. The prosecution said Monday that Nathaniel Veltman’s actions warrant an upgrade to terrorism charges. Veltman is accused of running over the family with his truck in a parking lot in London, Ontario on June 6. Police accuse the 20-year-old of planning the attack and say he was wearing what appeared to be body armor and a helmet at the time.  Veltman also faces four charges of murder for the killing of Salman Afzaal, his wife, their 15-year-old daughter and Afzaal’s mother. The family was taking an evening walk near their home when the attack took place. The couple’s nine-year-old son survived but remains in a hospital with serious injuries.  The new charges were added during a brief court hearing Monday in which Veltman appeared via video. He has yet to enter a plea and is due in court again on June 21. The attack was the deadliest against Canadian Muslims since a shooting at a mosque in Quebec City that left six people dead in 2017. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also described the incident as a terrorist attack, saying it was motivated by hatred. 
 

leave a reply: