On the day after a van barrelled down a Toronto sidewalk at up to 70mph, killing several pedestrians along a main thoroughfare, the suspect has already had his first day in court. Alek Minassian, whose LinkedIn photo (seen below) has now gone viral, was formally charged with 10 counts of murder, along with 13 counts of attempted murder, which he allegedly carried out during Canada’s deadliest mass killing in decades.
Reuters adds that Minassian did not raise his head during the hearing and only spoke to declare his name. Authorities are still digging for a motive, although it’s been reported that Minassian appeared to be a fan of mass murderer Elliot Roger, who had left behind a mens-rights manifesto after killing several people in a 2014 vehicular and stabbing attack in California.
Minassian’s appeared to be fully intentional, and CNN has the chilling transcript of his post-rampage verbal exchange with a police officer:
Officer: “Get down!”
Minassian: “Kill me!”
Officer:“No! Get down! Get down!”
Minassian: “I have a gun in my pocket!”
Officer:“I don’t care, get down! Get down! Get down or get shot!”
Minassian:“Shoot me in the head!”
The officer never fired any shots during his arrest of Minassian, and after video footage of the confrontation circulated, CTV reported that the officer’s actions have been described by many as the “one shining moment” within the otherwise devastating day for Canadians.