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Hit-and-Run That Left Members of Canadian Muslim Family Dead Likely Hate Crime, Police Say

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - A car crash in the Canadian city of London in Southwestern Ontario that left four members of a Muslim family dead was likely a hate crime, the London Police Service said.
Sputnik

At approximately 8.40 pm local time on Sunday, a black pickup truck with a male driver traveling southbound on Hyde Park Road mounted the curb and struck the five people waiting to cross the intersection, according to the police. It continued to drive at a high rate of speed and did not stop for a red light.

"There is evidence that this was a planned, pre-meditated act, motivated by hate," London Detective Superintendent Paul Waight told reporters on Monday. "It is believed that these victims were targeted because they were Muslim."

The surviving victim, a young boy, is being treated in hospital for serious but non-life-threatening injuries, Chief Stephen Williams said.

According to police, the perpetrator is 20-year-old Nathaniel Veltman from London. Veltman has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder.

The 20-year-old is expected to appear in court later on Monday.

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