By JIM MORRIS, CLAIRE RUSH and ROB GILLIES

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — A 30-year-old man was charged with multiple counts of murder in the deaths of 11 people who were killed when a car careened into a crowd at a Filipino heritage festival in Vancouver, and mourners including the Canadian prime minister remembered the dead at vigils across the city.

Kai-Ji Adam Lo, 30, was charged with eight counts of second-degree murder in a video appearance before a judge Sunday, hours after he was arrested at the scene, said Damienne Darby, spokeswoman for British Columbia prosecutors. Lo has not yet entered a plea.

Thirty-two people were taken to hospitals, and 17 were still there late Sunday, including some in critical and serious condition, the British Columbia Health Ministry said.

Investigators ruled out terrorism as a motive and said more charges were possible. They said Lo had a history of mental health issues.

An attorney for Lo was not listed in online court documents, and The Associated Press could not immediately reach an attorney representing him.

Those killed were between the ages of 5 and 65, officials said. Dozens of people were injured, some critically, when the black Audi SUV sped down a closed street just after 8 p.m. Saturday and struck people attending the Lapu Lapu Day festival.

Nathaly Nairn and her 15-year-old daughter carried flowers to one of the vigils. They attended the festival on Saturday, and Nairn recounted seeing the damaged SUV and bodies on the ground.

“Something really dark happened last night,” Nairn said as she and her daughter wiped away tears.

While attending a vigil, Vancouver Mayor Kenneth Sim said the Filipino community and the city were “heartbroken, were sad, were scared and there’s a bit of anger there, too.”

Mental health may have been a factor, Sim said.

“We do have people with significant mental health challenges who shouldn’t be directing their own care on the streets, where they can do harm to themselves and others,” he said. “So we have to get to the root cause of that problem as well.”

Interim Police Chief Steve Rai called it “the darkest day in Vancouver’s history.” There was no indication of a motive, but Rai said the suspect has “a significant history of interactions with police and health care professionals related to mental health.”

Video of the aftermath showed the dead and injured along a narrow street in South Vancouver lined by food trucks. The front of the Audi SUV was smashed in.

Kris Pangilinan, who brought his pop-up clothing and lifestyle booth to the festival, saw the vehicle roll slowly past a barricade before the driver accelerated in an area packed with people after a concert. He said hearing the sounds of people screaming and bodies hitting the vehicle will never leave his mind.

“He slammed on the gas, barreled through the crowd,” Pangilinan said. “It looked like a bowling ball hitting bowling pins and all the pins are flying into the air.”

Investigators were collecting evidence at the scene Monday and had executed a search warrant at a Vancouver property, police spokesperson Sgt. Steve Addison said. Investigators were also going through bystander video from the scene.

“Nobody anticipated that this would happen,” said Addison, adding that the unpredictability of this kind of behavior makes it difficult to police against. Officials will review the situation and it may change how they approach events like this.

“This was intended to be a safe, fun family-friendly community block party for people to celebrate their community and culture,” Addison said. “The actions of one person stole that away from them.”

Suspect detained by bystanders

Rai said the suspect was arrested after initially being apprehended by bystanders.

Video circulating on social media showed a young man in a black hoodie with his back against a chain-link fence, alongside a security guard and surrounded by bystanders screaming and swearing at him.

“I’m sorry,” the man said, holding his hand to his head. Rai declined to comment on the video.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney visited Sunday, a day before a national election. He canceled his first campaign event and two major rallies on the final day of the campaign before the country votes on Monday.

“Last night families lost a sister, a brother, a mother, father, son or a daughter. Those families are living every family’s nightmare,” Carney said. He joined British Columbia Premier David Eby and community leaders Sunday evening in Vancouver.

Carney posted a photo of himself on X lighting a candle at a makeshift memorial near the scene of the attack.

The assault was reminiscent of an attack in 2018, when a man used a van to kill 10 pedestrians in Toronto.

Witnesses describe leaping out of the way

Carayn Nulada said that she pulled her granddaughter and grandson off the street and used her body to shield them from the SUV. She said her daughter made a narrow escape.

“The car hit her arm, and she fell down, but she got up, looking for us, because she is scared,” said Nulada, who described children screaming and victims lying on the ground or wedged under vehicles.

“I saw people running, and my daughter was shaking,” Nulada said.

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Nulada was at Vancouver General Hospital on Sunday morning, trying to learn about her brother, who was run down in the attack and suffered multiple broken bones.

Doctors identified him by presenting the family with his wedding ring in a pill bottle and said that he was stable but would need surgery.

James Cruzat, a Vancouver business owner, was at the celebration and heard a car rev its engine and then “a loud noise, like a loud bang” that he initially thought might be a gunshot.

“We saw people on the road crying. Others were like running, shouting or even screaming, asking for help,” Cruzat said.

Vincent Reynon, 17, was leaving the festival when he saw police rushing in. People were crying, and he saw scattered bodies. “It was like something straight out of a horror movie or a nightmare,” he said.

Adonis Quita said when he saw the SUV ramming through the crowd, his first reaction was to drag his 9-year-old son out of the area. The boy kept saying “I’m scared, I’m scared,” Quita recalled. Later they prayed together.

His son just relocated to Vancouver from the Philippines with his mother to reunite with Quita, who has lived here since 2024. Quita said he worries the child will struggle to adjust to life in Canada after witnessing the horrific event.

Filipino community was honoring a national hero

Vancouver had more than 38,600 residents of Filipino heritage in 2021, representing 5.9% of the city’s total population, according to Statistics Canada, the agency that conducts the national census.

Lapu Lapu Day celebrates Datu Lapu-Lapu, an Indigenous chieftain who stood up to Spanish explorers who came to the Philippines in the 16th century. The organizers of the Vancouver event, which was in its second year, said he “represents the soul of native resistance, a powerful force that helped shape the Filipino identity in the face of colonization.”

Eby said the province will not let the tragedy define the celebration. He urged people to channel their rage into helping those affected.

“I don’t think there is a British Columbian that hasn’t been touched in some way by the Filipino community,” he said. “You can’t go to a place that delivers and not meet a member of that community in the long-term care home or hospitals, childcare or schools. This is a community that gives and gives and yesterday was a celebration of their culture.”

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issued a statement saying that the Philippine Consulate in Vancouver would work with Canadian authorities to ensure the attack is thoroughly investigated, and that the victims and their families are supported.

Gillies reported from Toronto. Associated Press journalists Manuel Valdes and Lindsey Wasson in Vancouver; Teresa Cerojano in Manila, Philippines; Christopher Weber in Los Angeles; and Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City, Utah, contributed to this report.

Three St. Paul police officers were legally justified when they fatally shot a woman in a home last May, the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office announced Monday.

Officers responded May 6 to a person who called 911 and screamed, “My daughter is committing suicide!,” according to a transcript of the call. The home was in the 1100 block of East Rose Avenue in the Payne-Phalen area.

Body camera footage released by police soon after showed that officers went in a room of the home, and the woman who was reportedly feeling suicidal pulled a gun from under a blanket and pointed it at officers. Three officers shot the 41-year-old woman.

The Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the woman who died as Pepsi Heinl, which her family said was her married name. They referred to her as Pepsi Benjamin.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension investigated and referred the case to the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office.

After their review, prosecutors wrote a 26-page memo, concluding the use of deadly force was justified under Minnesota law. County Attorney John Choi wrote that he agreed with their conclusion.

“Like so many, this is a sad and tragic case for all of those involved,” Choi wrote in the memo. “The events that transpired on May 6, 2024, will forever impact all of those that loved Pepsi Lee Heinl and the three officers who had no other reasonable choice to do something different under these circumstances. We all wish there could have been a different outcome.”

The officers who shot Benjamin were identified as Chee Lao, Yengkong Lor and Chiking Chazonkhueze.

Suicide prevention help

People who are in crisis can call 988 or text “Home” to 741741 for free, 24/7 support from the Crisis Text Line.

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Three Gophers football players fulfilled lifelong dreams of being NFL draft picks last week. They will be paid handsomely for their accomplishments.

The Houston Texans drafted left tackle Aireontae Ersery with the 48th overall pick in the second round Friday night. He will have a four-year contract worth approximately $8.6 million, including $1.5 million in 2025, according to Spotrac.com.

As a second-round pick, Ersery misses out on the rarified air afforded to first-round picks, who get a fifth-year option on their deals.

Cornerback Justin Walley, drafted 80th in the third round by the Indianapolis Colts, has a four-year deal estimated at $6.3 million, while linebacker Cody Lindenberg, selected No. 222 in the seventh round by the Indianapolis Colts, will have a four-year deal projected to pay $4.32 million.

Top overall pick, Miami (Fla.) quarterback Cam Ward, received a four-year contract from the Titans worth $43 million and a rookie salary of $7.8 million. Mr. Irrelevant, the 257th and final pick, is estimated to receive a $4.29 million contract over the life of that deal.

‘The best’

Ersery was the sixth offensive tackle drafted after five went in the first round Thursday. But that didn’t stop the 6-foot-6, 330-pounder from Kansas City, Mo., from putting together his own draft order.

“You got the best tackle in the draft,” Ersery said on the phone with Houston coach DeMeco Ryans on Friday night.

Colts general manager Chris Ballard paid a compliment to Walley when they chatted Friday night.

“You stand for everything we want to stand for,” Ballard said. “You know what fires me up the most? You worked out and did everything with a cast.”

Walley did as much as he could during the pre-draft process while recovering from a broken right wrist.

Raiders director of college scouting Brandon Yeargan called Lindenberg “a great fit.”

“He’s a high-character, high-intangible guy,” Yeargan said. “He’s tough, he’s competitive. I think he’s got really good value in the kicking game, too.”

Double shot

On Sunday, two more Gophers received shots in the NFL as free agents: Tight end Nick Kallerup, a Wayzata native, signed with the Seahawks, and running back Marcus Major, a one-year transfer from Oklahoma, signed with the Ravens.

Minnesota now up to nine undrafted players latching onto NFL teams.

Drought continues

While quarterback Max Brosmer received a free-agent chance with the Vikings, his undrafted status adds another year to the Gophers’ drought without a QB picked in the NFL Draft. This year, 13 QBs were selected.

Craig Curry was the last Gophers QB drafted, in 1972, going in the eighth round to the Dolphins.

Former U quarterback Tanner Morgan was the last long-shot in 2023. He signed as an undrafted free agent with the Steelers but was waived that August. He then had a brief stint on the Vikings practice squad later that fall.

Rankings

The Gophers’ total of three draft picks was tied for eighth-most in the Big Ten behind Ohio State (14), Oregon (10), Michigan (seven), Maryland (six), Iowa, Penn State and UCLA (five apiece).

Like Minnesota, Rutgers and Southern Cal had three picks each. Rival Wisconsin had two, while Northwestern was the only Big Ten school without a selection this year.

By JACK BROOK, Associated Press/Report for America

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The textile mills that once served as the backbone of Mount Pleasant, North Carolina, have long been shuttered, and officials believed federal money would be key to the town’s overdue revitalization. They hoped an improved stormwater drainage system and secured electrical wires — funded through a program to help communities protect against natural disasters and climate change — would safeguard investments in new businesses like a renovated historic theater to spur the largely rural economy.

Mount Pleasant was about to receive $4 million when the Federal Emergency Management Agency eliminated the program. Officials say their plans — years in the making — and those of hundreds of communities nationwide supported by the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program have been upended.

“This is a generational set of infrastructure projects that would set us up for the next hundred years and it just — poof — went away,” said Erin Burris, assistant town manager for Mount Pleasant, 25 miles east of Charlotte.

FEMA’s elimination this month of the BRIC program revoked upwards of $3.6 billion in funding earmarked for communities like Mount Pleasant. Though President Donald Trump has openly questioned whether to shutter FEMA completely, local officials said they were blindsided by the move to end BRIC, established during the Republican president’s first term.

FILE – A sign for the Federal Emergency Management Agency is pictured at FEMA headquarters, April 20, 2020, in Washington. (Al Drago/The New York Times via AP, Pool)

Many affected communities are in Republican-dominated, disaster-prone regions. FEMA called the BRIC grants “wasteful” and “politicized” tools, but officials and residents say they were a vital use of government resources to proactively protect lives, infrastructure and economies. Money would have gone toward strengthening electrical poles to withstand hurricane-force winds in Louisiana, relocating residents in Pennsylvania’s floodplains and safeguarding water supply lines in Oklahoma’s Tornado Alley.

Disasters affect the vast majority of Americans — 95% live in a county that has had a federally declared weather disaster since 2011, said Amy Chester, director of Rebuild by Design, a nonprofit focused on disaster prevention.

The BRIC program told communities, “We’re going to help your community be stronger ahead of time,” she said. “Cutting one of the sole sources of funding for that need is essentially telling Americans that it’s OK that they’re suffering.”

Officials call FEMA’s program imperfect but important

Across multiple states, officials said the BRIC program was far from perfect — they were often frustrated with the wait for funding.

But in southeastern Louisiana, Lafourche Parish President Archie Chaisson said despite his issues with FEMA’s bureaucracy, he’s seen firsthand that money invested to fortify homes and infrastructure works.

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The hurricane-ravaged state receives the highest rate of federal disaster assistance per capita, with more than $8 billion pouring in since 2011, according to Rebuild by Design. Lafourche Parish has seen more than a dozen federally declared extreme weather disasters since 2011.

Lafourche had been set to receive more than $20 million from several grants to replace wooden electrical poles with steel and take other steps to lower the soaring costs of home insurance.

Chaisson, a Republican whose parish saw 80% of voters support Trump in November, said he backs efforts to streamline federal agencies — as long as funding continues to flow for disaster prevention.

“I’m hopeful that that’s what the president’s trying to do with this,” he said. “Is there some other way to get the money so we can continue to do these projects? … No matter where you sit on the political spectrum, the programs themselves and the dollars allocated make our communities more resilient.”

Research backs him up: A 2024 study funded by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce found every $1 invested in disaster preparation saved $13 in economic impact, damage and cleanup costs.

Democratic officials in states that lost money have publicly expressed outrage. Few Republicans have joined in at a national level, even though about two-thirds of the top 15 states in total FEMA funds received, spending per person and number of federally declared disasters lean heavily Republican.

An exception has been Louisiana’s senior U.S. senator, Bill Cassidy. He took to the Senate floor this month calling for BRIC’s reinstatement, saying it’s “a lifesaver and a cost-saver.”

About $185 million intended for Louisiana evaporated, and officials had to shelve dozens of applications for hundreds of millions of dollars in new funding, according to data compiled by state and federal agencies.

“This isn’t waste,” Cassidy said. “To do anything other than use that money to fund flood mitigation projects is to thwart the will of Congress.”

FEMA says more than $3.6 billion of BRIC funds will be returned to the federal Disaster Relief Fund, for disaster response and recovery, and an additional $882 million is being returned to the U.S. Treasury or reapportioned by Congress in the following fiscal year. Agency officials did not comment further for this story.

Some states fight to restore funds

Twenty-two mostly blue states and the District of Columbia have filed a lawsuit demanding the federal government release obligated funding, including FEMA grants.

The lawsuit highlights Grants Pass in conservative southern Oregon, where FEMA has refused to release BRIC funding awarded for a $50 million water treatment facility.

Flooding could knock out the water supply for 60,000 people for months, said Jason Canady, city public works director. Funding would have been used in part to build a modernized plant on higher ground.

“If you can’t provide drinking water, hospitals, groceries, restaurants are going to have trouble. Economically, it would be devastating,” he said. “It really is the cornerstone on which the community is built.”

In Stillwater, Oklahoma, Mayor Will Joyce spent two years working with FEMA on a BRIC application to overhaul and provide backup supply for a regional water system used by 100,000 people. Its 36-mile pipeline is at risk of damage from tornadoes and flooding. If it breaks, Stillwater has less than a day’s worth of reserve drinking water.

“We can’t just hope nothing bad happens,” Joyce said. “This project is a necessity.”

Without FEMA’s support, he said, Stillwater will have to double the cost of water for residents to fund the project.

In an open letter, U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan Jr., a northeast Pennsylvania Republican, urged FEMA to revive BRIC, saying communities in his district would struggle to fund disaster adaptation work, including relocating families in flooded homes.

Bresnahan wrote that “programs like BRIC are not wasteful, but well within the purview of federal coordination of disaster relief efforts” and noted that Trump “promised not to leave the forgotten men and women of America behind.”

Some towns fear their needs will be forgotten

In Mount Pleasant, Whit Moose, the fourth-generation owner of a downtown pharmacy, said few of his neighbors seem aware that funding disappeared, though his own business would have benefited.

“It was going to be a wonderful thing,” he said. “Now we just got to start over.”

Republican voters in the town embrace efforts to downsize government, but the perception is that cuts are focused on federal bureaucracy, related waste and redundancy, or diversity, equity and inclusion spending, said Jim Quick, vice chairman of the Cabarrus County Republican Party.

“It would be a surprise for us to learn that those budget cuts would be impacting a local municipality,” Quick said. “The reality is all of us have to trim back.”

Town voters are unlikely to retract their support for Trump, he said, noting that 80% supported him in November.

Burris, the assistant town manager, worries about flooding downtown. And she points to one vulnerable utility pole she’s nicknamed Atlas — after the Greek god carrying the world on his shoulders — holding up the electricity, internet and telecommunications for the town’s 1,700 people.

“It’s a special community, and it deserves good things,” Burris said, choking up. “I don’t know what was political about Mount Pleasant — little, teeny, tiny Mount Pleasant — getting a little bit of help with some stormwater flooding.”

Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.