DEADLY RAMPAGE
Toronto van attack – first footage emerges of vehicle ploughing down pavement as suspect is charged with murder
THIS is the first chilling glimpse of the Toronto van attacker ploughing his van down the pavement which left ten dead.
CCTV footage captures suspect Alek Minassian, 25, speeding along the busy north-centre street in the white rented van yesterday afternoon.
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The white Ryder rental van appears to maintain a steady speed while driving beside other vehicles.
At least ten people were left dead and another 15 injured after suspect Minassian sped along Yonge Street, Toronto just before 1:30pm local time.
Earlier today suspect Minassian appeared in court held on ten count of murder and 13 attempted murder.
The 25-year-old was said to have shown little emotion as he appeared in court dressed in a white jumpsuit and handcuffs.
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He was detained without bond and will appear for his next hearing on May 10.
The suspect's dad Vahe Minassian whispered: "I'm sorry" outside the courtroom when asked if he had any message for the families of the victims.
His appearance in court comes as Anne Marie D'Amico was named as the first victim.
Tributes have been paid to those who lost their lives by means of a makeshift memorial along the major city intersection.
Eyewitness Panna Patel, 42, who was at an ATM when the attack happened said: "It was like he was playing a video game, trying to kill as many people as possible.
"He was looking people directly in the eye, making eye contact, it was so scary. He wasn't remorseful at all."
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Hours after the attack eyewitness footage captured the tense standoff between Minassian and Toronto police.
The suspect can be seen brandishing what appears to be a gun and screaming at the officer to "shoot him in the head".
Police have not yet established a motive for the attack but believe the attack looked "deliberate".
Police Chief Mark Saunders said: "We are looking very strongly to what the exact motivation was for this particular incident to take place.
"We need every single piece of this puzzle so we can have a fulsome picture and account as to exactly what took place here."
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Local media reports suspect Minassian may have suffered from a mental illness and had attended a high school program with special needs.
Former pupil of Toronto's Thornlea Secondary School Shereen Chami recalled how Minassian would often walk the halls with his head down making meowing noises.
Another classmate told he had a "significant social or mental disability" claiming he had several physical ticks including shaky hands and tapping his head.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has ruled out the possibility of terrorism.
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Toronto van attack suspect yells 'shoot me in the head' at cop before his arrest
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Eyewitnesses spoke of their horror after watching the van mount the pavement.
One eyewitness told a local reporter "He was in control of what he was doing, he knew what he was doing from what I can. I was in shock but from what I can tell that's what he was doing."
Another said: "He just went on the sidewalk. He just started hitting everybody, man. He hit every single person on the sidewalk. Anybody in his way he would hit."
Witnesses describe horror moment van hit pedestrians in Toronto
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