‘I feel broken beyond repair’: Man who lost entire family in Lapu-Lapu attack speaks about mourning their loss, and creating a legacy

A man who lost his family in the Lapu-Lapu Day attack is navigating overwhelming grief, but hopes the accused killer’s upcoming trial brings justice.

It’s been four-and-a-half months since 11 people were killed and 31 others injured in the SUV attack on the Lapu-Lapu Day festival in Vancouver.

But the passage of time has done little to ease the pain for Alejandro Samper, who lost his father Daniel Samper, his mother Glitza Maria Caicedo and his sister Glitza Daniela Samper that day.

“Without my mother, father and sister, it feels like there’s no point in life. I can’t live without them; I loved them so much. And now that they’re gone, it doesn’t make sense,” Samper said.

As the only surviving member of his immediate family, the 34-year-old has a lot on his shoulders.

“I’m crying every day for hours, and at the same time, I’ve been packing all of my parent’s things, their belongings, and moving it to my house. Dealing with the estate matters of my mom and dad, the legal side of things,” Samper said.

He’s given very little thought to Kai-Ji Adam Lo, the man charged with driving his SUV through the festival. But Samper is glad a judge found the accused killer fit to stand trial.

“There’s got to be justice, and we have to see it,” Samper said.

He hopes a trial sheds some light on the mental health care Lo was receiving leading up the attack that has forever changed so many families.

“It destroys your life,” said Samper. “It puts you in a place where you’re not normal anymore. You can’t function in society anymore. And it has a ripple effect that affects more than me.”

The visual and interactive artist from Burnaby is trying to channel his pain into a lasting legacy for his mother, father and sister.

“So we’re starting a non-profit organization, called the Samper Caicedo Legacy. Right now we’re in the stages of legalizing it with the government,” Samper said. “Our focus is mainly on helping individuals that have suffered from traumatic events.”

He believes it’s what his mother would have wanted.

“She finds so much joy in helping others,” Samper said. “So it’s definitely one of the things that I hope by doing will bring me closer to my mother.”

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