Four people killed in London, Ont. collision in targeted, Islamophobic attack

Trigger warning: This article contains distressing details regarding Islamophobia and violence that some readers may find disturbing.

On the evening of June 6, four members of a London, Ont. family were struck and killed by a vehicle that mounted the curb where they were walking on the sidewalk and collided into them.

A 74-year-old woman died at the scene. A 46-year-old man, 44-year-old woman and 15-year-old girl were rushed to the hospital where they later died from their injuries.

The alleged driver, a 20-year-old London man, has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder.

“We believe the victims were targeted because of their Islamic faith,” the area’s police chief Steve Williams told reporters during a press conference.

According to reports, a nine-year-old boy who is related to the deceased is currently in hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

“The Coalition of Muslim Women strongly denounces the horrific Islamophobic mass
murder of a Muslim family in London Ontario on Sunday, June 6. Our hearts go out to the family who we
targeted and killed only because they were Muslims. London Police has called it ‘a planned, premeditated act
motivated by hate’,” The Coalition of Muslim Women of KW (CMW) said in a press statement.

“The Muslim community in London and Waterloo region are shocked and rattled. It is a difficult time for the
community, who already experience many aggressions because of their faith. The CMW has been constantly
raising awareness about the devastating impact of Islamophobia in Canada, particularly and in our region. The
CMW is also actively engaged in countering hate incidents within the Waterloo region through their hate
reporting system (reportinghate.ca).”

A virtual vigil to honour the deceased family members will be held on Tuesday.

“To this end, the CMW has scheduled a series of townhalls with the WRPS and members of the Muslim
community. The first townhall is scheduled on July 13, 2021, to address the issues of hate crime, hate incidents
and community safety,” the news release said.

“The CMW is also organizing a virtual community vigil for the deceased family and their young boy, the only
survivor of this vicious attack. The vigil will be held on Tuesday, June 8 at 6 pm. Please contact
mifrah.abid@cmw-kw.org to register for the vigil.”

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