Accused in Lapu Lapu Day attack denies all 42 charges; trial set for April 2027
The person charged in connection with the April 2025 festival attack near Fraser Street denied all 42 charges on November 2. Trial is scheduled to begin April 19, 2027.
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The person charged in connection with the April 2025 Lapu Lapu Day festival attack denied all 42 charges at Vancouver Law Courts on November 2, Daily Hive Vancouver reported. The case involves 11 counts of second-degree murder and 31 counts of attempted murder.
Damienne Darby, communications counsel with the BC Prosecution Service, confirmed the denial to Daily Hive Vancouver. All 42 charges were denied when the accused appeared in court on November 2. The charges are allegations; no court has ruled on them.
The attack
The attack happened on April 26, 2025, during the annual Lapu Lapu Day festival near Fraser Street and East 43rd Avenue in Vancouver. Eleven people were killed and dozens were injured. The Vancouver Police Department called it the darkest day in the city's history.
The accused is charged with 11 counts of second-degree murder and 31 counts of attempted murder. Second-degree murder in Canada is a homicide that was intentional but not planned. The charges remain before the court, and no court has yet ruled on them. A denial of the charges means the case will proceed to trial.
Pre-trial proceedings
Pre-trial applications are scheduled to continue through mid-March 2027. This phase gives both the prosecution and the defence time to bring motions on evidence, procedure and other legal questions before the trial itself begins. The length of this phase reflects the number and seriousness of the charges.
The trial schedule
The trial is set to begin on April 19, 2027, at Vancouver Law Courts, Daily Hive Vancouver reported. The trial is expected to last four months, which would put proceedings into late August 2027.
Vancouver residents who want to follow the case can monitor the BC Prosecution Service website and Vancouver Law Courts for updates as pre-trial applications proceed through mid-March 2027. The trial is set to begin April 19, 2027.
Questions this story answers
What charges were filed in connection with the Lapu Lapu Day festival attack?
The accused faces 11 counts of second-degree murder and 31 counts of attempted murder, for a total of 42 charges. These are allegations before the court; no court has ruled on them. The BC Prosecution Service confirmed the charges through its communications counsel, Damienne Darby, who spoke with Daily Hive Vancouver.
When did the Lapu Lapu Day festival attack happen?
The attack took place on April 26, 2025, near Fraser Street and East 43rd Avenue in Vancouver, during the annual Lapu Lapu Day festival. Eleven people were killed and dozens were injured in the attack, which Vancouver police described at the time as the darkest day in the city's history.
What happened at Vancouver Law Courts on November 2, 2026?
The accused denied all 42 charges at Vancouver Law Courts on November 2, 2026. Damienne Darby, communications counsel with the BC Prosecution Service, confirmed the denial to Daily Hive Vancouver. The case now moves into the pre-trial applications phase, which runs through mid-March 2027.
What happens next in the case?
Pre-trial applications are scheduled to continue through mid-March 2027. The trial is set to begin on April 19, 2027, at Vancouver Law Courts. Daily Hive Vancouver, citing BC Prosecution Service, reported the trial is expected to last four months. That would put proceedings into late August 2027 if the schedule holds.
Where is the case being heard?
The case is before Vancouver Law Courts. Pre-trial applications continue through mid-March 2027. The trial is set to begin April 19, 2027. The BC Prosecution Service is responsible for the prosecution and confirmed the schedule to Daily Hive Vancouver.
Who confirmed the denial of the charges?
Damienne Darby, communications counsel with the BC Prosecution Service, confirmed to Daily Hive Vancouver that the accused denied all 42 charges on November 2, 2026. The BC Prosecution Service is the provincial body responsible for criminal prosecution in BC courts.
How many people were killed in the Lapu Lapu Day festival attack?
Eleven people were killed. Dozens more were injured in the attack on April 26, 2025, near Fraser Street and East 43rd Avenue in Vancouver. The attack occurred during the annual Lapu Lapu Day festival. The 42 charges against the accused are allegations; no court has ruled on them.
When will the trial begin and how long will it last?
The trial is set to begin on April 19, 2027, at Vancouver Law Courts. Daily Hive Vancouver reported, citing the BC Prosecution Service, that the trial is expected to last four months. Pre-trial applications are scheduled to continue through mid-March 2027 before the trial begins.
Sources
The pages this story draws on. Open one to check a claim yourself.
- Daily Hive Vancouverdailyhive.com
- BC Prosecution Servicewww2.gov.bc.ca
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