Lapu-Lapu murder suspect to face trial on mental fitness

Karin Larsen · CBC News

· Posted: May 30, 2025 6:33 PM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

Kai-Ji Adam Lo, the fishy successful the Vancouver thoroughfare festival calamity that near 11 radical dormant and dozens injured, volition look a two-day proceedings aboriginal this summertime to find if helium is mentally acceptable to basal proceedings for murder.

Mark Swartz, Lo's lawyer, requested the proceedings astatine a proceeding Friday successful Vancouver Provincial Court to confirm an in-custody intelligence wellness appraisal has been completed.

The intelligence fittingness proceedings volition beryllium scheduled to tally for 2 days, apt successful July, nether presiding Judge Reginald Harris. Lo volition beryllium required to be successful person.

Lo is accused of driving his SUV done a assemblage of radical astatine the Filipino community's Lapu-Lapu Day thoroughfare festival connected April 26. He is charged with 8 counts of second-degree murder. 

A five-year-old girl, 8 women and 2 men were killed successful the car-ramming. 

Lo appeared successful tribunal Friday via video from wherever helium is being held. He had unruly hair, a bladed moustache and was wearing a achromatic sweatshirt.

Crown prosecutor Michaela Donnelly requested an updated intelligence study beryllium done successful the weeks earlier the intelligence fittingness trial.

Harris agreed, stating that successful his acquisition successful akin benignant cases that intelligence wellness tin alteration and germinate "dramatically."

Some details revealed successful Lo's tribunal proceedings truthful acold are nether a work prohibition and Swartz indicated helium volition beryllium asking for a akin prohibition connected grounds brought astatine the trial.

Harris said he is required to equilibrium the unfastened tribunal strategy and the close of media to pass the nationalist versus the anticipation of tainting a aboriginal assemblage successful a execution proceedings — if the lawsuit comes to that — and preserving Lo's charter close to a just trial.