Canadian tennis star says ‘heart goes out to’ victims of Vancouver attack

Leylah Fernandez, of Canada, returns to Coco Gauff, of the U.S.A., during their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Vincent Thian

Canadian tennis pro Leylah Fernandez has offered condolences to the victims of the car-ramming attack that left 11 dead and dozens more injured in Vancouver.

The 22-year-old athlete from Laval, Que., says she was “absolutely devastated to hear about the death of my fellow Canadian-Filipinos” during the Lapu Lapu celebration on Saturday evening.

“My heart goes to the families and the communities of the fallen victims,” Fernandez said in a video shared with her 350,000 Instagram followers on Monday.

Born to an Ecuadorian father and a Filipino-Canadian mother, Fernandez started playing tennis at age five and competed by age 10, eventually making history as the youngest Canadian to win main draw matches at the International Tennis Federation, according to the International Olympic Committee.

“I love you all, stay strong, and I hope to see you soon,” Fernandez added.

Among the dead in the attack on the Filipino festival in South Vancouver were three members of one family, including a five-year-old girl.

Police and witnesses said a black SUV raced down a crowded street lined with food trucks shortly after 8 p.m., leaving a trail of dead and injured in its path.

Adam Kai-Ji Lo, 30, has been charged with eight counts of second-degree murder, and police have said more charges are likely in the coming days.

While investigators have ruled out terrorism, no motive has been established for the attack, police said.

Lo was under the care of a mental health team and was on leave from a hospital when he allegedly drove the vehicle into the crowd, the Vancouver Coastal Health authority confirmed Tuesday.