'Abhorrent': Wellington County officials respond to video referencing targeted hit-and-run in London
Officials in Wellington County have issued a statement in response to a social media video they say makes “disturbing references” the targeted hit-and-run in London that killed four people earlier this week.
A joint statement from Warden Kelly Linton and Minto Mayor George Bridge said the video was posted in Harriston on TikTok, and included "disturbing references" to the attack.
Four members of the same family were killed, and London police said they believe the family was targeted due to their Muslim faith.
Twenty-year-old Nathaniel Veltman is facing four counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Salman Afzaal, his wife Madiha Salman, their daughter Yumna Afzaal and Afzaal’s 74-year old mother Talat. Veltman is also charged with attempted murder. Nine-year-old Fayez Afzaal survived, but remains in hospital.
“The anti-Muslim sentiment expressed in this disgusting video is abhorrent to the residents of Wellington County and the Town of Minto, and all efforts must be used to denounce hatred in all its forms. Islamaphobia and all forms of racism have no place in our community, and we must ensure that messages of hate and fear fall on deaf ears,” the joint statement from Linton and Bridge said.
They added the video has been viewed by municipal officials and Wellington County OPP.
Police said they are aware of the video and are investigating.
Linton said the video was brought to his attention on Friday morning. He told CTV Kitchener he hasn't seen the video, but it was described to him by others who had watched it.
"It's terrible to see (racism) in your community," he said. "We felt, because it was in our jurisdiction and in the County of Wellington and within the Town of Minto, that it was incumbent on the leaders to say something about it and make sure we did denounce it."
"Racism of any kind has no place in Wellington County," Linton added.
He said staff take incidents like this very seriously.
"Something like this is impactful for them and they hate to see it," Linton said. "We're welcoming to everyone in this county and we 100 per cent denounce any form of racism and any form of Islamophobia."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW 'She was waiting for you': The story of how a B.C. man found his birth mother in England
After his adopted parents died, Dave Rogers set out to learn more about his birth mother. DNA results and a little help from friendly strangers would put him on a path to a small town in England.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Italy's white-collar mafia is making a business killing
Italy's mafia rarely dirties its hands with blood these days. Extortion rackets have gone out of fashion and murders are largely frowned upon by the godfathers.
Spike in 'violent rhetoric' since Oct. 7 attack from 'extremist actors,' CSIS warns
The Israel-Hamas war has led to a spike in 'violent rhetoric' from 'extremist actors' that could prompt some in Canada to turn to violence, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service warns.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
Israeli army tells Palestinians to evacuate parts of Gaza's Rafah ahead of an expected assault
The Israeli army on Monday ordered tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza's southern city of Rafah to start evacuating from the area, signalling that a long-promised ground invasion there could be imminent.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
'Love has no boundaries': Sask. couple in their 90s and 80s get married
Eighty-two-year-old Susan Neufeldt and 90-year-old Ulrich Richter are no spring chickens, but their love blossomed over the weekend with their wedding at Pine View Manor just outside of Rosthern.
Ontario family releases statement on infant son, grandparents killed in wrong-way Highway 401 crash
An Ontario family says they are 'reeling' in 'profound grief' after losing their three-month-old son and parents visiting from India in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last Monday.