Canadian family “targeted because of their Islamic faith”

Canadian police has said that a hit-and-run driver who killed four pedestrians in Ontario on Sunday targeted the victims because they were Muslim.

Nathaniel Veltman, 20, of London, has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder in a hit and run Sunday involving a pickup truck, according to Canadian media CBC News.

Veltman may also face terrorism charges, Det.-Insp. Paul Waight said at a Monday press conference.

“There is evidence that this was a planned, premeditated act and that the family was targeted because of their Muslim faith,” said Waight.

“This is a devastating loss of four members of our community,” added police Chief Steve Williams at an afternoon news conference.

The names of the victims aren’t being released at this time, at the request of family members.

The family members who died are:

● a 74-year-old woman.
● a 46-year-old man.
● a 44-year-old woman.
● a 15-year-old girl.

A nine-year-old boy remained in hospital with serious injuries.

Police say that at 8:40 p.m. ET, the family was walking along Hyde Park Road and were waiting to cross the intersection, in northwest London, when the truck mounted the curb and struck them.

Police received several 911 calls, and emergency crews quickly attended to the scene in an attempt to save the lives of the victims.

Post-mortems are scheduled for Tuesday at the Centre of Forensic Sciences in Toronto.