Sombre anniversary: The Afzaal tragedy and its connection to the Riverside crash
It was exactly six months ago that a beloved London family was taken down in what police say was a deliberate attack.
“We still haven’t healed from what transpired,” said Imam Abd Alfatah Twakkal, a faith leader in London’s Muslim community. “There’s a lot of healing that needs to be taking place because of the level of that trauma that our community had experienced.”
On June 6, Salman Afzaal, his wife Madiha Salman, their daughter Yumnah Afzaal, and Salman Afzaal’s mother Talat Afzaal were killed when they were run down by a pickup truck. Twenty-two-year-old Nathaniel Veltman of London has been charged in connection with the incident. The family’s nine-year-old son Fayez survived the attack and was treated in hospital.
At that time Twakkal consoled community members and acted as a spokesperson for local Muslims.
He found himself in a somewhat familiar situation last Tuesday night, when by chance he was travelling on Riverside Drive just after a vehicle struck 10 pedestrians, including several children. He said he comforted victims until emergency crews arrived.
“I immediately got down from the car and I went to see if there’s any help that I could offer for the people and the children that had experienced that. I only wanted to offer as much comfort as I could for the people that were in that situation. And then emergency crews arrived, and hats off to them. They did a tremendous job as they always do.”
Eight-year-old Alexandra Stemp died from her injuries in the crash, which police have said was not intentional, though the investigation is ongoing.
The circumstances in the two tragedies six months apart may be very different, but the one thing that they have in common is the devastation they left behind for the victims, the families and the community.
Those close to the Afzaal family are still in mourning, but young Fayez is doing better, according to Nawaz Tahir, who chairs a Muslim advocacy group called Hikma.
“In general, physically he’s doing well,” said Tahir. “We expect a full recovery. And he’s obviously surrounded by a lot of extended family that are showing an outpouring of love to him. Psychologically he’s got a long way to go to process the magnitude of what happened to his family.”
Tahir said Fayez has returned to school where he is said to be doing well.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.