Toronto van attack suspect faces more murder charges

By Barry Ellsworth

TRENTON, Canada (AA) – A man accused of driving a van that mowed down people on a Toronto sidewalk last month was charged with three more counts of murder Thursday in a Canadian court.

Alek Minassian, 25, a resident of Richmond Hill, a town just north of Toronto, now faces 10 counts of first-degree murder and 16 counts of attempted murder.

The accused, a college student, appeared in court by video and was silent as the judge set the next court date as Sept. 14.

Police said eight women and two men aged 22-94 were killed on April 23 when a van left the road and sped along a sidewalk in Toronto’s busy north end, mowing down pedestrians. Among those killed were a student from South Korea and a grandfather from Jordan who was visiting his family.

No motive for the attack has been identified as yet, police said.

Minassian’s lawyer, Boris Bytensky, refused to discuss his client’s mental or physical state with reporters.

“This isn’t a time to discuss Mr. Minassian. This is still a grieving period for the city,” Bytensky said.

But he said the accused’s family is devastated.

“They appreciate the devastation on many other families, as well,” he said. “They stand behind their son and are very respectful of the court process.”