UPDATE: Van mows down pedestrians in Toronto, killing 9

ADDS IDENTITY OF SUSPECT, QUOTE FROM DEPUTY POLICE CHIEF, DETAILS

By Barry Ellsworth

TRENTON, Canada (AA) – A van travelling at a high rate of speed left the road Monday and mounted a sidewalk in Toronto, killing nine and injuring 16.

The driver is in custody, and Canadian Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said it is too soon to speculate whether it was a terrorist attack.

The incident occurred around 1:30 p.m. EST (1730 GMT) in a busy section in the north end of the city.

While police are being tight-lipped about information on the incident, witnesses said they saw tarps over four people lying on the sidewalk.

The trauma unit at the nearby Sunnybrook Hospital issued a statement saying it had received seven victims after “an incident involving a van striking a number of pedestrians”.

A hospital spokesperson later said one patient had died and several were in critical condition.

An eyewitness said there were “a lot of people lying lifeless on the ground”.

Bystanders tried to revive them, but to no avail.

Subway service has been suspended in the area.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was apprised of the situation and commented on the incident from Ottawa.

“Our hearts go out to anyone affected,” he said. “We’re obviously going to have more to learn and more to say in the coming hours.”

The suspect was later named as Alek Minassian, 25, according to sources, Canadian media reported.

All available personnel have been called in to investigate the incident, police said.

“I want to assure the public that the rest of the city [is] adequately policed,” Toronto Deputy Police Chief Peter Yuen told reporters at a press conference.

The identities of the victims have not been released.

No motive for the incident has been determined as yet, police said.