(Montreal) Canadian Nathaniel Veltman, described as a white supremacist, was found guilty of murder on Thursday for intentionally driving his van into a Muslim family near Toronto in June 2021.
Published at 1:52 p.m. Updated at 3:10 p.m.
After a 10-week trial, a jury found the now 22-year-old man guilty of four counts of murder and one count of attempted murder in a historic trial over one of Canada’s deadliest Islamophobic attacks.
Nathaniel Veltman pleaded not guilty at the opening of his trial in early September, arguing that he was “dazed” that day.
On June 6, 2021, he mowed down five members of the Afzaal family in London, Ontario, killing both parents, a 15-year-old daughter and the grandmother. Only the nine-year-old boy, who was seriously injured, survived.
This is the first time in a trial in Canada that the charge of terrorism has been mentioned to speak about a man who is a supporter of white supremacy theories.
However, the jury, which deliberated for less than six hours, did not mention the concept of terrorism when delivering its verdict.
During the trial, the prosecutor explained that Nathaniel Veltman, a supporter of white supremacy theories, wanted to kill Muslims in order to spread fear in this community in the country.
He recalled that Mr. Veltman had written a “terrorist manifesto” he found on his computer in which he advocated white nationalism and described his hatred of Muslims.
“Nathaniel Veltman had a message for Muslims. That message was strong, that message was brutal and that message was terrifying: ‘Leave this country or you and your loved ones could be next,'” prosecutor Fraser Ball said at the conclusion of a historic trial.
The defendant was also “dressed like a soldier,” with a bulletproof vest and helmet. “He was looking for Muslims to kill,” he concluded.
Shortly after his arrest, Nathaniel Veltman told police, “I was the one who hit her … I did it on purpose,” the indictment says.
“Send a strong message”
The latter, who had no criminal record and no connection to an extremist organization, explained that it was a political gesture as he wanted to “send a strong message” against immigration.
But the defense attorney denied intent: “When he left his apartment on the evening of June 6th, he had no plan,” argued Christopher Hicks.
He also referred to the defendant’s psychological disorders, who also consumed hallucinogenic mushrooms.
“Mr. Veltman is an example of how hateful words can lead to radicalization, which can lead to deadly violence,” Omar Alghabra, a Canadian lawmaker and former minister in Justin Trudeau’s government, commented on X.
“We are relieved that justice has been served,” the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) responded.
“The attack that occurred more than two years ago changed Canadian Muslims’ relationship with their country,” said NCCM’s Omar Khamissa, calling for reflection on “the Islamophobic violence that has gripped our country.”
In 2021, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau quickly condemned “a hate-motivated terrorist attack” and particularly promised to step up the fight against extremist groups.
This murder, along with the Quebec mosque shooting that left six people dead in 2017, was one of the deadliest attacks against Muslims in Canada. The perpetrator of the shooting, a Canadian racist, was not charged with any act of terrorism.