Father of man accused in anti-Muslim attack in London, Ont., calls it 'senseless act'
The father of a man accused in the deadly attack against a Muslim family in southwestern Ontario is calling the incident "a senseless act."
Mark Veltman says what happened was an "unspeakable crime" and there are no words to properly express his sorrow for the victims.
Twenty-year-old Nathaniel Veltman made a brief virtual appearance in court this morning to face four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder.
Veltman, wearing an orange T-shirt and orange pants with a blue mask, spoke calmly and clearly from the Elgin Middlesex Detention Centre.
Relatives have identified the dead as 46-year-old Salman Afzaal, his 44-year-old wife Madiha Salman, their 15-year-old daughter Yumna Salman and her 74-year-old grandmother, Talat Afzaal.
The couple's nine-year-old son, Fayez, was seriously wounded but is expected to recover.
"Mr. Veltman have you retained counsel?" asked Justice of the Peace Robert Seneshen.
"I've only spoken to them," Veltman said, adding that he was in discussions with a local law firm.
Police allege the attack was a planned and premeditated act that targeted Muslims.
Court heard that the Crown continues to work on disclosure, which will be provided to Veltman once he has retained a lawyer.
Veltman is set to return to court on June 14.
Meanwhile, calls continue to grow for a national summit on anti-Muslim hate.
The National Council for Canadian Muslims has a petition signed by more than 35,000 people calling for all levels of government to tackle Islamophobia.
"This loss of a family, the loss of a child in our community because of Islamophobia -- this is a sorrow that will run deep for a long time," the council wrote in the petition. "Let that sorrow be the ground where we stand for justice and stand for change."
The group's petition echoes a call by the London Muslim Mosque, to which the family belonged.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 10, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.