Menu Close

Articles on Toronto van attack

Displaying all articles

Incels rank all racial groups by attractiveness. The most attractive white men and women are ‘Chads,’ ‘Stacys’ and ‘Beckys.’ (Shutterstock)

Incels are surprisingly diverse but united by hate

Our research suggests that incel discussion boards are surprisingly diverse. Despite this diversity, we find that incels are united by their hatred of women.
Survivors and victims, along with their family and friends, share a moment outside the courthouse after Alek Minassian had been found guilty for the Toronto van attack. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Toronto van attack: Guilty verdict, but Canada still needs to tackle ideological violence

The judgment document in the Toronto van attack case pointed out that the attacker’s motivations were unclear but related to other ideologically informed violent acts.
A man and his son pay respects at a memorial to a teacher in Debert, N.S. on April 21, 2020. RCMP say at least 23 people are dead after a man went on a murder rampage in Nova Scotia communities. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

Let’s call the Nova Scotia mass shooting what it is: White male terrorism

Until we acknowledge that toxic white masculinity is fuelling mass murders, aggrieved white men will continue to commit them – and we’ll all continue to pay the price.
Thousands of fans cheer as the Toronto Raptors pass by during the championship parade in Toronto. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Lahodynskyj

What authorities can learn from the Raptors parade shooting

More planning time to better estimate the risks for gun violence and enact strategies like restricting crowd sizes at the end of the Toronto Raptors parade route would have served the city well.
A man holds a sign at a memorial remembering the victims of the July 22, 2018 shooting in Toronto. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Mark Blinch

Toronto mass shooting: How the city is coping a month later

Toronto is still grappling with the fallout from two mass casualty events – April’s van attack and a mass shooting in July. A month after the shooting, how is Toronto moving forward?
A woman wipes a tear as Toronto’s Greektown neighbourhood community gathers for a candlelit vigil to honour the victims of a deadly shooting in Toronto on July 22 that killed an 18-year-old woman and a 10-year-old girl. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

Toronto shooting: The psychology of loss, fear and identity

After acts of violence, we want to make sense of what is right and wrong and where we stand in the world. But we must ensure our belief systems are periodically and systematically checked.
A man places a placard before a vigil remembering the victims of a deadly van attack at Mel Lastman Square in Toronto on April 29, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

How Toronto is recovering from the van attack

Toronto is grappling with a new normal a week after a heinous van attack killed 10 people and left many injured. Here’s how cities recover from disasters, both emotionally and physically.
A group of women pay their respects at a memorial wall dedicated to the victims of the Toronto van attack. Wednesday, April 25, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

If misogyny was a factor, is Toronto rampage a terrorist act against women?

The word “terrorism” has not been used officially to describe the Toronto van attack. But if it’s shown the accused was inspired by misogyny, Canadian law allows for terror to be added to murder charges. Should it?
Alek Minassian (second from left in this courtroom sketch) is accused of driving a van into pedestrians along a stretch of a busy Toronto street on Monday April 23, 2018. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Alexandra Newbould)

Toronto attack: Autism does not increase risk of violence

The evidence indicates that having autism spectrum disorder actually reduces the risk of violence.
Two students comfort each other during a candlelight vigil held to honour the victims of Elliot Rodger in Isla Vista, Calif., in May 2014. Was Toronto’s van attack suspect inspired by Rodger? (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

The dark possible motive of the Toronto van attacker

Was the suspect in Toronto’s van attack inspired by a misogynist mass killer in the United States?
A young man reacts at a vigil remembering the victims of a shooting on Toronto’s popular Danforth Avenue. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Mark Blinch

Violence in Toronto: How support can help prevent PTSD

Two acts of mass violence in Toronto this year will have an impact on witnesses, caregivers and even those who watch news reports. An expert on post-traumatic stress explains.
A Toronto policeman is being praised for the way he apprehended a suspect who was accused of killing 10 people by driving a van onto a busy sidewalk.

Why didn’t he shoot? The Toronto cop who did everything right

The Toronto cop who apprehended the van attack suspect is being lauded internationally for refraining from using deadly force as he apprehended him. Here’s how everything went right for the constable.

Top contributors

More