Lapu Lapu festival attack trial moving to B.C. Supreme Court

Debris is seen on East 43rd Avenue in Vancouver, where a vehicle drove into crowd at a Lapu Lapu Day festival the night before, on Sunday April 27, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Rich Lam

The trial of a man accused plowing his vehicle through the crowded Lapu Lapu festival in Vancouver last April is being moved to the B.C. Supreme Court.

Adam Kai-Ji Lo, who attended a provincial court hearing in Vancouver on Thursday by video wearing a navy sweat suit, faces 11 counts of second-degree murder and 31 charges of attempted murder.

A provincial court judge found Lo fit to stand trial in September.

Crown prosecutor Michaela Donnelly told Thursday’s hearing that the Crown has filed a direct indictment in the case, which requires the approval of the provincial attorney general and means there won’t be any preliminary hearings where evidence can be tested.

She said Lo’s first appearance in Supreme Court is scheduled for Feb. 11.

The transfer to the higher court comes after community group Filipino BC announced last week that it will be holding the 2026 festival in Vancouver in April, nearly one year after the attack, saying it is “important for collective healing.”

The April 26 attack set off two reports on safety at community events, one each from the city and the province.

The B.C. government report made several recommendations to prevent similar attacks, including doing risk assessments on large and small events and creating a central training and support hub.

City of Vancouver officials said their review of public safety at outdoor events found that the Lapu Lapu festival was appropriately assessed as low risk and there was no indication that it would be the target of a vehicle ramming.

Some of the victims in the attack have filed a proposed class-action civil lawsuit in B.C. Supreme Court, alleging Lo had been diagnosed with schizophrenia some time before the attack and that he had asked to have his antipsychotic medication reduced, even as his mental health was deteriorating.

The lawsuit names as defendants the City of Vancouver, Vancouver Coastal Health authority and Lo.

This report by Brieanna Charlebois, The Canadian Press, was first published Jan. 15, 2026.