Man convicted in fatal truck attack on Muslim family in London, Ont., to be sentenced in early January
Warning: This story contains distressing details.
The 22-year-old man found guilty last month of killing four members of a Muslim family and injuring another in a targeted truck attack in 2021 in London, Ont., will be sentenced early in the new year.
During a brief court hearing Friday, Jan. 4 and 5 were set aside for the sentencing of Nathaniel Veltman.
The two-day hearing will be in London Superior Court before Justice Renee Pomerance, who oversaw the 11-week trial in Windsor, also in southwestern Ontario.
He was convicted Nov. 16 of four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder. The verdict comes with an automatic sentence of life in prison with no chance of parole for at least 25 years.
Yumnah Afzaal, 15, was out for a walk with her parents, Salman Afzaal, 36, and Madiha Afzaal, 44, as well as her grandmother, Talat Afzaal, 72, and her nine-year-old brother when they were struck by a black pickup truck on a suburban street.
Their deaths sparked outrage and calls for Canadians to address Islamophobia.
Featured VideoA jury has found Nathaniel Veltman guilty of four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder in the truck attack on a Muslim family in London, Ont., in 2021. ‘The trial and verdict are a reminder there is much more work to be done to address the hatred that exists in our society,’ said Tabinda Bukhari, mother of Madiha Salman, one of the victims.
In statements immediately after the attack, and in the hours and months after the man’s arrest, he said he targeted the family because of the traditional Pakistani clothes the two women were wearing. He said he left his downtown London apartment that evening to “find Muslims to kill.”
Proceedings before a jury were held in Windsor, beginning Sept. 11, to ensure he got a fair trial, but the sentencing will be in London at the request of surviving family members.
The sentencing hearings will include victim impact statements as well as findings of fact from Pomerance, who is expected to determine whether the evidence points to the crime being a terrorist act.
Veltman’s lawyers have said they will argue against labelling their client a terrorist.
Front Burner22:45Guilty verdict for Muslim family truck attack
Featured VideoNathaniel Veltman has been found guilty of four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder, after violently hitting a Muslim family in London, Ontario, with a pick-up truck in 2021. What is the reaction to the verdict from the family and community? And how has this trial tested Canada’s terrorism laws? First we hear from Hina Islam, a member of the Afzaal family and a registered psychotherapist who has provided trauma support for members of London’s Muslim community. Later in the episode, CBC’s Kate Dubinski explains what led up to the verdict. For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.
