Details about the lives lost in Monday’s van attack in Toronto are slowly emerging, a “cryptic” Facebook post seems to link the suspect to an online group of misogynists, and how an officer’s textbook takedown is captivating social media.
1. Victim described as 'a shining light'
Anne Marie D’Amico has become the first victim identified following Monday’s van attack on Yonge Street. Her family released a statement on Tuesday saying she “only had kindness in her.” Though officials said it will still take days to formally identify all the victims, details have emerged from the friends and colleagues of Chul Min “Eddie” Kang, a chef at a Toronto restaurant who had a “passion for food,” and Dorothy Sewell, a beloved grandmother known for sharing her love of sports.
Foreign governments and one local Toronto school also confirmed the names of four other victims.
2. The hateful world of ‘incel’
It’s a portmanteau for “involuntary celibate” and is the name members of an online group of men use to describe themselves. The term “incel” has more therapeutic beginnings, but was co-opted over the years for darker purposes. In a Facebook post allegedly made by suspect Alek Minassian, Elliot Rodger -- a 22-year-old mass murderer who killed six people in California -- is called a “Supreme Gentleman.”
3. Officer heralded for takedown
Toronto police Const. Ken Lam managed to apprehend the Toronto van attack suspect without firing a single shot, despite an extremely intense standoff. Toronto Police Association president Mike McCormack called it “one shining moment” amid the horror.
