Ontario’s chief coroner and Toronto police have identified the names of the 10 people killed during a van attack earlier this week during an update on Friday into the investigation.
The victims have been identified as:
Beutis Renuka Amarasingha, 45, of Toronto
Andrea Bradden, 33, of Woodbridge
Geraldine Brady, 83, of Toronto
So He Chung, 22, of Toronto
Anne Marie D’Amico, 30, of Toronto
Mary Elizabeth Forsyth, 94, of Toronto
Ji Hun Kim, 22, who was a student living in Toronto but was from South Korea
Dorothy Sewell, 80, of Toronto
Chul Min Kang, 45, of Toronto
Munir Abdo Habib Najjar, 85, who was visiting Toronto from Jordan
Dr. Dirk Huyer, Ontario’s chief coroner, said their top priority since Monday has been to ensure correct identifications of the victims were made.
“This is a very complex tragedy and continues to involve significant steps of investigation,” he said.
Huyer said officials have been obtaining dental records and fingerprints to help make those identifications.
Toronto police said 16 people in total, who are between the ages of 23 and 90 years old, were injured during Monday’s attack. Fourteen people were taken to hospital and two have since been released. After the attack, a 21-year-old man and a 67-year-old woman contacted police to report they were injured.
On Monday just before 1:30 p.m., police said the suspect, who has been identified as 25-year-old Richmond Hill resident Alek Minassian, rented a van from a Ryder location north of Toronto shortly before the attack. He then drove to Yonge Street and Hendon Avenue, a street north of Finch Avenue West, before police said he proceeded south on the west side sidewalk of Yonge Street.
Toronto police homicide squad Insp. Bryan Bott said the accused drove a significant distance on the west side sidewalk of Yonge Street while also driving on the road, and at one point driving south in the northbound lanes.
He said the suspect turned west through a laneway south of Hollywood Avenue before heading south on Beecroft Road. The accused made his way back to Yonge Street from Bogert Avenue before turning back west on the north side sidewalk of Poyntz Avenue, near Sheppard Avenue West, and getting out of the van. That location is where he was arrested by Const. Ken Lam.
Bott said it took about seven minutes between when the first pedestrian was struck and when Minassian was arrested. He was later charged with 10 counts of first-degree murder and 13 counts of attempted murder. Bott said it’s anticipated three more counts of attempted murder will be laid when Minassian appears in court on May 10.
Since Monday afternoon, Bott said more than 170 witnesses have been interviewed and approximately 100 witnesses are still waiting to be interviewed. He also said investigators have received a large amount of video and photos from people and businesses in the area.
A vigil for the victims of the attack will be held at Mel Lastman Square on Sunday and it will begin at 7 p.m.