'We are here for you,' Trudeau tells Muslims in London after police report fatal hate crime - Action News
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'We are here for you,' Trudeau tells Muslims in London after police report fatal hate crime

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told Muslims in London, Ont. and across the country today that his government stands with them afterfour members of a Muslim family therewere killed in what police described as a targetedhate crime.

O'Toole says 'Islamophobic act of terror' has no place in Canada

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued a statement on his Twitter account today telling Canadian Muslims that he and his government stands with them. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press)

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told Muslims in London, Ont. and across the country today that his government stands with them afterfour members of a Muslim family therewere killed in what police described as a targetedhate crime.

"This hate is insidious and despicable and it must stop," Trudeau said Monday evening in a social media post. "I'm horrified by the news from London, Ontario.

"To the loved ones of those who were terrorized by yesterday's act of hatred, we are here for you. We are also here for the child who remains in hospital our hearts go out to you, and you will be in our thoughts as you recover."

London Police ServiceDet.-Insp. Paul Waight told reporters earlier todaythat 20-year-old Nathaniel Veltman who is already facing four counts of murder and one count of attempted murder following a vehicularhit-and-run on Sunday evening could also face terrorism charges.

"There is evidence that this was a planned, premeditated act and that the family was targeted because of their Muslim faith," said Waight.

Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole said the killings were "horrific and heart-breaking" and extended his "deepest condolences during this unimaginably difficult time."

"An Islamophobic act of terror like this has no place in Canada," O'Toole said on Twitter.

"We stand with the Muslim community and reaffirm our commitment to build a country that is free from hatred, where Canadians of all faithscan live without fear of violence or persecution."

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh told CBC News Network's Power & Politics that the radicalization of individuals by far right hate groups now poses a significant threat to Canada and Canadians.

"It is unimaginable. The act of killing an entire family, the way that this hate crime is rocking our entire country," he told guest host David Common.

"To think about the chilling and heartless and vicious killing of an entire family by an act of hate like that really shakes everyone's sense of safety and security."

Watch:'Unimaginable' NDPLeader Jagmeet Singh reacts to a suspected hate crime in London:

'Unimaginable': NDP leader Jagmeet Singh reacts to a suspected hate crime in London

3 years ago
Duration 1:34
NDP leader Jagmeet Singh tells Power & Politics Canada must build a safer place that tackles hate, saying threats from the "extreme right" pose an urgent threat.

Green Party Leader Annamie Paul, who has scheduled a press conference for 11 a.m. Tuesdayto address the issue, took to Twitter to tell her followers that she is grieving alongsidethose touched by the tragedy.

"Hate cannot win, and every person in Canada must feel safe in their identity," she said.

The names of the victims aren't being released at this time, at the request of family members.

The family members who died are:

  • a 74-year-old woman.

  • a 46-year-old man.

  • a 44-year-old woman.

  • a 15-year-old girl.

A nine-year-old boy remains in hospital with serious injuries.

Police say that at 8:40 p.m. ET, the family was walking along Hyde Park Road and were waiting to cross an intersectionin northwest Londonwhen a truck mounted the curb and struck them.

Watch:London area MPs react to suspected hate crime in their community:

London area MPs react to suspected hate crime in their community

3 years ago
Duration 10:54
Members of Parliament representing the London area spoke with Power & Politics about the fatal collision in their community. Authorities there believe the four people killed were targeted because of their Islamic faith

You can watch full episodes of Power & Politics on CBC Gem, the CBC's streaming service.