Ontario Premier Doug Ford says the government is working with the local health unit to temporarily ease COVID-19 restrictions to allow for people to gather at a vigil for the victims of the London attack Tuesday evening.
Ford said he will also go to the London Muslim Mosque to attend the vigil and has cancelled all government events in wake of the incident.
“The horrific and deliberate attack on a Muslim family in London has left our province in mourning,” Ford said in a statement Tuesday morning.
Four members of a Muslim family were killed and another was seriously injured Monday evening after police said a pickup truck, driven by a 20-year-old London man, mounted a curb and struck the family while they were out for an evening walk.
Police have not released the names of the victims, but a statement released by the family late Monday identifies them as Salman Afzaal, 46, his 44-year-old wife Madiha Salman, their 15-year-old daughter Yumna Salman and Afzaal’s 74-year-old mother.
The couple’s nine-year-old son Fayez was seriously injured but is expected to survive.
“Our government is currently working with the local public health unit to temporarily amend certain restrictions in order to allow the community to safely gather to grieve and memorialize this family during tonight’s vigil.”
Ontario’s current COVID-19 restrictions only allow for outdoor gathering of up to five people from different households.
—With files from Katie Dangerfield
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