These Are The Victims Of The Toronto Van Attack

A deadly attack that saw a white van plow into pedestrians on Toronto's busy Yonge Street has left at least 10 people dead and another 14 injured.
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Victims were predominately female and ranged in age from mid-20s to 80s, Det. Sgt. Graham Gibson told reporters at a press conference on Tuesday.

He said that some of the injured had scrapes and bruises, while others suffered "terrible" injuries. Some patients have been released from hospital, but Gibson was unable to provide an exact number.

Fourteen people were injured, not 15 as was initially reported, Gibson said, explaining that police and health-care workers miscounted on Monday.

It will take days to confirm the identities of the deceased, the province's coroner told reporters. Officials are working with police to contact family and friends of those who they believe are deceased, and obtaining dental records, fingerprints and DNA.

We don't want to rush this.Dr. Dirk Huyer

Dr. Dirk Huyer said he sympathizes with families who are desperate to hear about their loved ones, but emphasized the need for accuracy. Earlier this month after the Humboldt Broncos hockey team bus crashed, officials mixed up the identity of two players, one dead and one who was injured but alive.

"We also have to ensure that we are completely accurate when we do this ... that takes time, and that time can be very frustrating," said Huyer. "We don't want to rush this."

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

Chul Min (Eddie) Kang

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Facebook

Chul Min Kang was identified as one of the victims, according to the Globe and Mail and Global News.

A letter from the management at Copacabana Brazilian Steakhouse, where Kang worked, was sent to employees confirming his death.

He had been working there since he immigrated to Canada from South Korea a few years ago, the Globe and Mail reported.

"I just felt so bad and so shocked that it happened to him," co-worker Selwyn Joseph said. "He's really a humble guy and was there for you with anything you need."

Betty Forsyth

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A photo of Betty Forsyth is shown at a vigil on Yonge Street in Toronto on Tuesday.
THE CANADIAN PRESS

Betty Forsyth was a resident of a Toronto Community Housing complex in the area where the van attack occurred. A neighbour said Forsyth's nephew called her to say she had died.

Mary Hunt described Forsyth — who she says is in her 90s — as a "lively person" who loved to feed the birds and squirrels on her regular walks through the neighbourhood.

"Everybody knew Betty because she used to walk in in the morning to feed the animals," she said.

"I will miss her," the 84-year-old said of Forsyth, who had been her neighbour for more than 10 years.

Renuka Amarasinghe

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Facebook

Toronto District School Board employee Renuka Amarasingha was one of 10 people whose life was cut short by Monday's attack.

Described online as a kind-hearted person, Amarasinghe was a single mom from Sri Lanka, and leaves behind a 7-year-old son, Diyon.

A GoFundMe has been set up for Diyon to cover his expenses and his future education.

In a press release, school staff extended their condolences to Amarasinghe's family and friends.

"This is a difficult time for the students and staff that knew her and we will continue to provide support to them in the days and weeks ahead," board chair Robin Pilkey said.

Dorothy Sewell

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Elwood Delaney/Facebook

Dorothy Sewell, 80, was identified by her grandson as one of the fatalities.

She was "the best grandmother anyone could have asked for," Elwood Delaney told HuffPost Canada in a Facebook message. "Almost had as much love for the [Toronto] Blue Jays and Leafs as she did for her family."

He added in a public Facebook post: "You will always be loved and your love for sports will always be with me while I cheer with you. Go Toronto Go. Love you Nan."

Munir Najjar

Jordan's embassy in Ottawa confirmed to HuffPost that a citizen was killed.

Munir Najjar, a father and grandfather in his 80s, was in Toronto visiting family when he was struck by the van, the embassy said in a statement.

Anne Marie D'Amico

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Facebook

Anne Marie D'Amico reportedly worked at Invesco, a U.S.-based investment firm. One of their Canadian offices is located at 5140 Yonge St., between Finch Avenue and Sheppard Avenue.

Friends of D'Amico remembered her as a "genuine, kind hearted person" who was "always smiling."

D'Amico began volunteering at the Rogers Cup tournament when she was 12 as a ball girl and went on to bigger volunteer roles, said Tennis Canada.

"The tournament was such a large part of her life and we were so lucky to have her on our team each summer. Her passion for Rogers Cup was contagious and we are honoured to let the world know what an amazing person she was and the great things she did for others," said a statement from the organization.

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A photograph of Anne Marie D'Amico is shown at a vigil on April 24, 2018 in Toronto.
Cole Burston via Getty Images

In statement shared by CityNews anchor Danielle Michaud, D'Amico's family said she "always did big things for people."

They continued: "She wouldn't stop until she went the extra mile for others and that was manifested in her loving attention to detail. She genuinely wanted to care for all those around her even if it meant sacrificing a portion of herself in return for others happiness. She only had kindness in her."

Wanted to share this statement from the D'Amico family on Anne Marie because it so beautifully describes the kind of person she was. More importantly, they ask us to 'fight with that same altruism, rather than hatred and anger' ❤️ @CityNews#TorontoTheGoodpic.twitter.com/OEONdpdh7c

— Danielle Michaud (@CityMichaud) April 24, 2018

A South Korean news agency says two Korean nationals were among the dead. The Yonhap News Agency is citing government officials as saying three others are unaccounted for.

Seneca College says a female student was also among those killed in the incident.

"She was, along with nine others, an innocent victim of this tragic act of violence,'' college president David Agnew said in a statement.

During Minassian's court appearance, the names of some of the injured were distributed in court. He is charged with the attempted murder of: Sammantha Samson, Samantha Peart, Morgan McDougall, Mavis Justino, Catherine Riddell, Aleksandra Kozhevinikova, Amir Kiumarsi, Yunsheng Tian, Jun Seok Park, Amaresh Tesfamariam, So Ra, and Beverly Smith.

Amaresh Tesfamariam

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Menab Tesfamariam is seen in a photo with his aunt Amaresh, who he described on GoFundMe as "almost like a second mom."
GOFUNDME

Toronto nurse Amaresh Tesfamariam is in critical condition at Sunnybrook Hospital, her nephew Menab Tesfamariam told Global News on Tuesday.

"It's just really hard to see that something like this would happen to her, for someone who's so happy and joyous," he said.

Tesfamariam launched a GoFundMe for his aunt, who he said has injuries to her spine. He said she is an elderly woman who lives on her own, and will need help with expenses going forward.

"She will not be able to work for a quite long period of time as were [sic] being told right now," he wrote.

Amir Kiumarsi

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LinkedIn

Amir Kiumarsi, a chemistry lecturer at Ryerson University, is one of the 14 people who were injured in Monday's attack.

Kiumarsi is in intensive care, according to Robert Bajko, the vice-president of communications at the Canadian Union for Public Employees (CUPE) branch that Kiumarsi belongs to.

"Our hearts and prayers go out to him and his family as well as all the victims from yesterday's tragedy," Bajko said in an email to HuffPost Canada.

On RateMyProfessors.com, some of Kiumarsi's students described him as a caring, humble and helpful instructor.

With files from The Canadian Press, Mohamed Omar

CLARIFICATION - April 24, 2018: Initial reports from Toronto police stated that 15 people were injured in the Toronto van rampage. Officials have since updated that number to 14.

CORRECTION - April 24, 2018: A previous version of this article listed one of the injured victim's names as Samantha Pratt.

CORRECTION - April 25, 2018: A previous version of this article misspelled Munir Najjar's name.

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