Alek Minassian
Alek Minassian is the man who drove a van in a Toronto sidewalk, killing at least 10 people and injuring several others –in what it seems to be the latest terror attack.
The van driven by Minassian plowed into a crowd of pedestrians in Toronto on Monday afternoon, the van apparently jumped the curb in a busy intersection and fled the chaotic scene. A few moments later a police officer confronted the man near the scene of the attack and following a short standoff, the driver was taken into custody.
Videos of the arrest show Minassian standing next to the van and holding what appears to be a cell phone and pointing it to look like a handgun –towards the officer who yells at him “get down”
During the confrontation, Minassian can be heard yelling “shoot me in the head.” The officer eventually stepped closer to him until Alek Minassian dropped the object and was arrested.
Police identified the driver as Alek Minassian, a 25-year-old male who appears to have acted ‘deliberately.’ A motive for his atrocious actions has not been determined and an investigation is ongoing. The incident took place on Monday, the same day ministers from the G7 countries were gathered in Toronto.
Alek Minassian is from the Richmond Hill area and is described as a software developer. He apparently was a student at Thornlea Secondary School –where former classmates described him as socially awkward. People who know him also told outlets he knows his way around computers.
According to a LinkedIn profile, he attended Senaca College in Toronto beginning in 2011, it is not clear if he graduated. Reports say Minassian had no previous criminal record, however authorities do not believe he was swerving accidentally when driving on sidewalks or in the incorrect lane.
At this time, it is not clear if Alek Minassian had been seeing anyone romantically prior to the attack. His social media info shows he praised mass killer, Elliot Rodger –who killed six people and injured 14 others in 2014.
Minassian made his first court appearance on Tuesday where he was charged with 10 counts of first degree murder and 13 counts of attempted murder.
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