Nathaniel Veltman, a Canadian man, has been found guilty of murdering four members of the Pakistani family in Ontario, by deliberately running them over with his car on June 6, 2021.
However, the jury’s decision did not specify if his actions were motivated by terrorism.
This case marked the first instance where Canada’s terrorism laws were presented in a first-degree murder trial before a jury. The verdict, reached in less than six hours, was delivered by a 12-person jury, whose deliberations remain confidential under Canadian law.
The Afzaal family, consisting of Salman Afzaal, 46, his wife Madiha Salman, 44, their daughter Yumna Afzaal, 15, and Salman’s mother Talat Afzaal, 74, were fatally attacked. Their nine-year-old son survived but sustained serious injuries.
The courtroom in Windsor’s Superior Courthouse was filled as the guilty verdict was announced, evoking emotional responses from spectators, particularly members of London’s Muslim community and friends of the Afzaals.
Speaking outside the courtroom, the Afzaal family’s relatives expressed that while the verdict couldn’t bring their loved ones back, it did provide some comfort. They emphasized the need for ongoing efforts to combat hatred in all its forms in Canada.
Tabinda Bukhari, speaking on behalf of the family, stated, “This wasn’t just a crime against the Muslim community, but rather, an attack against the safety and security of all Canadians.”
The National Council of Muslims (NCCM) expressed relief that justice had been served and highlighted the profound impact the incident had on the Canadian Muslim community.
Prosecution and defense agreed that Veltman was indeed driving the vehicle that day. Despite pleading not guilty and citing mental illness, evidence revealed Veltman’s consumption of far-right and anti-Muslim content online, along with a document found by the police post-arrest.
