Lapu Lapu festival attendee says he grabbed suspect as he tried to flee the scene

WARNING: Some of the details in this story are disturbing. Discretion is advised.

When Paul Palines and a friend went to the Lapu Lapu festival in Vancouver on Saturday, April 26, he said the atmosphere was happy, people were having fun and it seemed like a perfect night.

But the night turned tragic when an SUV drove into a crowd of people attending the Filipino festival, killing 11 people and injuring dozens of others.

Palines said he was standing by the food trucks, near East 41st Avenue and Fraser Street, when he heard loud banging noises.

“Next thing I know, I saw a lot of people who were running and I heard screaming, a lot of screaming too, until I, I didn’t know what was happening, but at the same time I knew it was really bad,” Palines told Global News.

“And then eventually I saw the car pulled up, like it was all busted up and the driver was trying to get out of the car at the time.”

Palines said the driver was trying to get out of the airbags and once he did, Palines said he looked back and then started to run away.

“At the time I wanted to grab him, I just started moving and I started going after him,” he said. “I just sprinted… then eventually I got his arm, and I got a good look at the guy.

“I was like, ‘What are you doing man, you can’t leave’. It was a lot because I was in complete shock once I grabbed him, too, once I got him.”

Palines said another man came over and threw the suspect onto the ground.

He got back up but then more people started crowding around them, getting very upset.

Palines said the driver eventually started saying to him that he had to get out of there but he couldn’t due to the crowd.

He said he knew he didn’t want the suspect to get away because something really bad had happened but everyone was in complete shock.

Palines said the man just kept saying he needed to get out of there.

“Once I saw the screaming and people just running away from it, I knew I could do something at least,” he added.

“When it happened, I just went, I went to go get the guy and that’s what happened.”

Palines said the scene was so chaotic, so many people screaming and crying and then many swearing at the suspect.

“I just stood there and I was just there to witness people swearing at him,” he said. “Lots of swearing.

“I still remember one guy threw a beer can at him and then it was just chaos and then eventually some people went to just to protect him from getting hit by the rest of the community.”

Palines added that when someone said police were coming that was when he left to go find his friend and make sure he was OK.

He said he’s happy he could do something to help, but he doesn’t think of himself as a hero.

“I just think I did my thing because I was capable of taking action,” he said.

“At the time, I just assessed the situation at the time when it happened, and then once I saw him, and when he started running away, I was just like, ‘okay, I can grab him’.

“I instantly wanted to just grab him right away so I could prevent more harm, even though he’s already badly injured but I know I can grab him right away.”

Kai-Ji Adam Lo, 30, was arrested at the scene on Saturday and has since been charged with eight counts of second-degree murder.

Speaking on Wednesday morning, Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim confirmed that the suspect was under the care of a mental health care team but he was on extended leave at the time.

Vancouver police said more charges against Lo are expected but there is no timeline for the investigation.

Palines, who said he doesn’t normally attend community events, said his experience has brought him closer to many but he is still processing what happened.

“I still remember like, (it) just kept playing over and over again, the whole thing,” he said.

“All the police cars, all the hurt and people that have passed on already. It was really devastating.”

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