2018 Toronto van attack
The 2018 Toronto van attack was a targeted vehicular ramming incident on April 23, 2018, in which Alek Minassian, a 25-year-old man identifying with the "incel" subculture, rented a van and deliberately drove it southward along the sidewalk of Yonge Street in Toronto's North York district for approximately two kilometres, striking and killing ten pedestrians—eight women and two men—and injuring sixteen others.[1][2][3] Minutes before initiating the rampage near Finch Avenue, Minassian posted on Facebook a message hailing Elliot Rodger—the perpetrator of the 2014 Isla Vista killings—as the "Supreme Gentleman" and proclaiming the onset of an "Incel Rebellion" to overthrow "Chads and Stacys," terms used in incel forums to denote sexually successful men and women, respectively.[3][4][5] In a subsequent police interview, he described his motive as retribution for personal sexual frustrations, stating he sought to inspire further attacks within incel circles by targeting women he viewed as unattainable.[6][7] Minassian admitted to the physical acts during his 2021 trial but unsuccessfully argued not criminally responsible status due to autism spectrum disorder; he was convicted of ten counts of first-degree murder and sixteen counts of attempted murder, receiving a life sentence with no parole eligibility for 25 years in 2022.[1][8] The incident, planned over months with research into prior vehicle attacks, exposed the radicalizing potential of online incel communities, where self-pitying narratives of entitlement to sex evolve into calls for violence against women perceived as selectively promiscuous.[9][6] It prompted debates on classifying incel ideology as terrorism—Canada later designated it a terrorist threat in 2021—and critiques of initial downplaying by authorities and media, which often framed the attack through mental health lenses over ideological causation.[10][2]The Incident
Sequence of Events
On April 23, 2018, at 1:24 p.m. EDT, Alek Minassian rented a white Chevrolet Express cargo van from a Ryder outlet in Toronto earlier that morning and drove it to the intersection of Yonge Street and Finch Avenue in the North York district.[11] There, he mounted the curb on the southwest sidewalk and accelerated southbound, intentionally striking multiple pedestrians in a deliberate vehicle-ramming attack.[11] [12] The van traveled approximately 1.2 kilometers along Yonge Street, swerving onto the east sidewalk briefly before returning to the west side, hitting victims at high speed while Minassian maintained control of the vehicle.[11] The rampage lasted about 10 minutes, during which the van struck at least 26 people, resulting in 10 immediate fatalities—eight of them women—and 16 injuries ranging from critical to minor.[11] [13] The vehicle finally stopped near the intersection of Yonge Street and Sheppard Avenue West after colliding with a traffic pole and a mailbox.[11] Minassian exited the van holding an object initially perceived by witnesses as a gun but later identified as a wallet, which he raised toward approaching Toronto Police Constable Ken Lam.[11] Lam, responding to reports of the incident, ordered Minassian to the ground multiple times; after brief non-compliance, Minassian dropped to his knees and was arrested at 1:37 p.m. without resistance or shots fired.[11] [12] Minassian later admitted in a police interview to premeditating the attack as a "beta uprising" inspired by online figures, expressing satisfaction with the outcome.[14]Method and Execution
Alek Minassian rented a white Ryder cargo van from a dealership in the Greater Toronto Area on the morning of April 23, 2018, selecting it specifically for its size and lack of rear windows to facilitate a ramming attack without obstruction.[15] The choice of a rental vehicle allowed anonymity and ease of access, as Minassian held a valid driver's license and paid with cash or card without raising immediate suspicion.[16] Minassian drove the van to the intersection of Yonge Street and Finch Avenue in North York, a densely pedestrianized commercial area during midday hours.[13] At approximately 1:26 p.m. EDT, he mounted the curb from the roadway, accelerating southbound along the west sidewalk adjacent to Yonge Street, deliberately steering toward clusters of pedestrians to maximize impact.[15] In a post-arrest interrogation, Minassian described flooring the accelerator to achieve speeds sufficient to strike multiple victims in succession, swerving the van to target women preferentially where possible, and expressing elation at the "rebellion" underway. [15] The rampage continued for roughly 10 minutes over a distance of about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles), during which the van struck 25 pedestrians before impacting a traffic signal pole and a mail kiosk near Eglinton Avenue West, disabling the vehicle.[17] [18] No additional weapons were used; the attack relied solely on the van's mass and momentum as a blunt instrument for lethality, a tactic Minassian researched online from prior vehicle-ramming incidents.[15] Upon stopping, Minassian exited, raised his hands, and surrendered to arriving officers after initially challenging them to shoot him, facilitating his immediate arrest without further violence.[19][20]Casualties
Fatalities
The attack resulted in ten immediate fatalities, consisting of eight women and two men aged 22 to 94.[21][22] The victims were formally identified by the Office of the Chief Coroner for Ontario on April 27, 2018, following notification of next of kin.[21] The deceased included a mix of Canadian residents and international visitors, among them university students, professionals, and retirees.[23] Their identities and ages, as confirmed by authorities, are as follows:| Name | Age | Background Details |
|---|---|---|
| Beutis Renuka Amarasingha | 45 | Toronto resident; Sri Lankan-born single mother working for the Toronto District School Board.[23] |
| Andrea Bradden | 33 | From Woodbridge, Ontario; recent high school graduate and animal lover.[21][23] |
| Geraldine Brady | 83 | Toronto resident; enjoyed family time.[21][23] |
| Sohe Chung | 22 | Toronto resident; University of Toronto student and retail worker known for her ambition.[21][23] |
| Anne Marie D'Amico | 30 | Toronto resident; data analyst and taekwondo practitioner.[21][23] |
| Mary Elizabeth Forsyth | 94 | Toronto resident; British-born retiree who enjoyed casinos and tea.[21][23] |
| Chul Min (Eddie) Kang | 45 | Toronto resident; Korean-born chef married for two decades.[21][23] |
| Ji Hun (June) Kim | 22 | Toronto resident; South Korean international student at Seneca College.[21][23] |
| Munir Abdo Habib Najjar | 85 | Toronto resident; Jordanian citizen visiting family.[21][23] |
| Dorothy Sewell | 80 | Toronto resident; sports enthusiast and family-oriented.[21][23] |