Public Safety Minister Bill Blair says London, Ont. truck attack 'clearly an act of terror'

Public Safety Minister Bill Blair confirmed on Thursday that police are investigating the deadly hit-and-run attack in London, Ont. as an act of terrorism.

"The events that took place on Sunday were clearly hate-motivated. They were clearly racist and they were clearly an act of terror," Blair said in an interview on CBC's Power & Politics.

"I can confirm that this is being actively investigated as a terrorist act by the police authorities."

On Sunday, four people Salman Afzaal, 46, his wife Madiha Salman, 44, their 15-year-old daughter Yumna Afzaal and Salman Afzaal's 74-year-old mother were killed when a pickup truck drove into them as they were walking. The youngest member of the family, Fayez, 9, survived.

Investigators in London say the driver of the truck, 20-year-old Nathaniel Veltman, targeted the family because they are Muslim.

He has so far been charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder.

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