Court documents identify 13 injured in deadly van attack - Action News
Home WebMail Thursday, November 14, 2024, 01:36 AM | Calgary | 6.7°C | Regions Advertise Login | Our platform is in maintenance mode. Some URLs may not be available. |
Toronto

Court documents identify 13 injured in deadly van attack

Court documents obtained by CBC News have identified those injured in Monday's attack that left 10 people dead and 14 others injured.

90-year-old woman, university professor and college student are believed to be among those injured

Police are seen near a damaged van in Toronto after the vehicle allegedly mounted a sidewalk crashing into a number of pedestrians on Monday. (Vincent Elkaim/The Canadian Press)

A 90-year-old woman, a university professor and a college student are believed to beamong some of the 14injured in Monday's van attack in north Toronto. The attack ultimately took like lives of 10 people when a white van mowed down pedestrians on Yonge Street in broad daylight.

The accused, AlekMinassian, 25, of Richmond Hill, Ont.,appeared in courtTuesday on 10 counts of first-degree murder and 13 counts of attempted murder.

Documents from his court appearanceobtained by CBCNewsidentified 13 of those injured.

They areSammantha Samson, Samantha Peart, Morgan McDougall, Mavis Justino, Catherine Riddell, Aleksandra Kozhevinikova, Amir Kiumarsi, Yunsheng Tian, Jun Seok Park, Amaresh Tesfamariam, So Ra, Beverly Smith and Robert Anderson.

Later Tuesday, police revealed that Minassian is expected to face a14th countof attempted murder.

90-year-old 'lucky' to be alive, son says

Vadim Kozhevnikovtold CBC's Here and Now his 90-year-old mother, Aleksandra Kozhevinikova, will have to undergo surgery after being injured in the attack.

"I think she is lucky that she is still alive. Her hip is broken, the doctor says. But today she feels a little better because of medical treatment," Kozhevnikov said.
Farzad Salehi consoles his wife Mehrsa Marjani who was is a nearby cafe and witnessed the aftermath when a van hit a number of pedestrians on Yonge Street and Finch in Toronto on Monday. (Aaron Vincent Elkaim/Canadian Press)

He added that his mother was born in Russia and worked in a plant during the Second World War but now lives near Yonge and Finch. She was out shopping on Monday when she was injured but is struggling to remember exactly what happened.

"She even doesn't remember what she was doing," he said. "Everything happened so quick, she [doesn't] remember anything."

Professorbelieved to be among those injured

RyersonprofessorAmirKiumarsiis believed to beamong theinjured.

Haider Firas told CBC Toronto he had a special bond with Kiumarsi, who teaches mostly chemistry courses at the university.

Firas describesKiumarsi as an "amazing professor" who motivated his students and pushed them to excel.
Haider Firas says he had a special bond with his professor Amir Kiumarsi who is believed to be one of the many injured in the attacks. (CBC)

"He referred me to a job for [the] summer," Firas recalled. "The last contact I had with him was four days ago."

He was shocked when he learned his professor, whom he respected like a father, was injured.

"It just messed my head, like I couldn't focus," Firas said. "What if it was me? What if it was my mom?"

Student says he's 'miraculously lucky'

Seneca business studies student Morgan McDougall,27,also lives in the area and sayshe narrowly escaped death when he moved away afterhearingsome noise.

"Ihave a gash in the back of my head, I'm sore," he said."I would say I am miraculously lucky."

Among his other injuries were stitches tohis hand.McDougall was released fromhospital last night.
Witnesses are pictured at the scene of an incident where a van struck multiple people on Yonge Street in Toronto on Monday. (Carlo Allegri/Reuters)

The Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan said Tuesdayit had identified an employee that had been injured in the attack.

"We have been in regular contact with his family and are doing everything we can to ensure he and his family have the support and assistance they need during this challenging time, while being respectful of their privacy," the organization said in a statement.

The Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan has not confirmed to CBC Toronto who the employee is.

Attack 'very traumatic,' nurse says

Sunnybrook Hospital said Mondaythat 10 victims were transported to its trauma centre. Two of those are among the dead, while five are in critical condition and three are in serious condition. The hospital's emergency department hadbeen locked down as a precaution, Sunnybrooksaid.

Cristina Choy, a trauma nurse at SunnybrookHospital, toldCBCToronto that dealing with the influx of patients was difficult, asthe hospital was full at the time, but the nurses focused on what they needed to do.

Sunnybrook Hospital trauma nurse Cristina Choy says nurses focused on what they needed to do as the hospital dealt with an influx of patients. (CBC)

"It was unimaginable.I've been here for 14 years.I've seen a lot, but it was definitely very traumatic," she said. "At the same time, as a nurse, we're trained to do this. I think we're just very focused, and we know what our job is."

Police yet to confirm victims' identities

TheOntario chief coroner's office said Tuesday it has yet to confirmthe names of the dead and it could be days until it does so.

Policeare still appealing to the public for help with identifying some of the dead. Anne Marie D'Amico, an employee at Invesco, a U.S.-based investment management firm was the first of the dead to be identified.

DorothySewell, 80, was also confirmed as among the dead by her grandson, Elwood Delaney. She worked at Sears and volunteered tohelp seniors. Sewell was going to the bank when she died, he said.
Dorothy Sewell, 80, died in Monday's van attack in Toronto. (Elwood Delaney)

Two Koreans are also believed to be among the dead. Citing a South Korean government official, Yonhap news agency says two nationals were killedand another seriously injured.

Three Koreans have not been accounted for since the van attack, the news agencyreported. The reports have not been independently verified by CBCNews.

A Jordaniancitizenwas among those killed, the Jordanian Embassy confirmed to CBC News.It did not release the victim's name, but the Foreign Ministry identified him as Munir Abdu Habib Al-Najjar,Jordanian media said.

Memorial grows onYongenear Finch

On Tuesday, amemorial of flowers, candles and posters grew onYongeStreet near Finch Avenue where the attackoccurred, and the city observed a moment of silence for those who died and were injured in the attack. Hundreds gathered in the rain to remember the lives lost and those injured.

Among thosewho visited the memorialwere Mayor John Tory and Premier KathleenWynne, who wrote condolence messages to the victim's families and laid bouquets of flowers.

Mayor Tory also announced the launch of the #TorontoStrongfund Tuesday afternoon to support victims, witnesses andfamilies of those affected. The city will also work with GoFundMe andMuslim fundraising organization Canada Zakat to help raise funds for victims.

Corrections

  • A previous version of this story indicated that police said Alek Minassian is now facing 14 counts of attempted murder. In fact, police said they expect to lay a 14th charge, but had not yet.
    Apr 25, 2018 10:58 AM ET

With files from Shana Cohen, David Common and Kas Roussy