London Truck Attack Survivor Addresses Sentencing Hearing
The young boy who miraculously survived the tragic London truck attack that claimed the lives of four members of his family has spoken out at the sentencing hearing for Nathaniel Veltman, the convicted perpetrator. With his identity protected for privacy reasons, the boy expressed the immense void left in his life and the profound loss he feels, stating that he would love to fight with his older sister one last time.
Nathaniel Veltman, 23, was found guilty in November of four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder for targeting the Afzaal family with his truck as they enjoyed a walk in London on June 6, 2021. Salman Afzaal, 46; his wife Madiha Salman, 44; their 15-year-old daughter Yumna; and Salman’s 74-year-old mother Talat Afzaal were tragically killed in the attack. The boy, then only nine years old, was seriously injured.
During the sentencing hearing, the boy’s statement was read, detailing the special moments he will never again have with his loved ones. Me and Yumna had plans that when she finally got her driver’s license, she would drive me around. She said it would cost 25 cents per drive. Now I’ll never be able to see that, the statement revealed, leaving many in the packed courtroom in tears.
The trial for Nathaniel Veltman took place in Windsor, Ontario, while the sentencing proceedings and victim impact statements occurred in London. Friends and relatives of the victims expressed their shattered faith in Canada as a place of tolerance, with Madiha Salman’s cousin Omar Ahmed, based in Pakistan, stating that he grew up witnessing family members pursue the American Canadian dream of better opportunities. He lamented, But this is how the dream ends.
Amira Elghawaby, Canada’s special representative on combating Islamophobia, has been present at the hearing in London. In a statement, Elghawaby highlighted Canada’s disturbing record of targeted deadly attacks against Muslims. She referred to Veltman’s crime as the second mass attack against Muslims in Canada, following the tragic 2017 Quebec City mosque shooting that claimed the lives of six men. Elghawaby emphasized the need to confront and address the deadly consequences of Islamophobia.
The impact of the attack was further emphasized by Maryam Alsabawi, a close friend of Yumna’s, who spoke about the loss of belonging, community, and safety felt by her and others. Alsabawi recalled the shared plans and conversations she had with Yumna about their future. She expressed the deep longing for Yumna’s laughter, smile, kindness, humor, and even receiving her random 3 a.m. texts.
Throughout the hearing, Veltman sat in court without making eye contact with the speakers, while over 70 statements were delivered. Veltman’s trial was the first in which Canada’s terrorism laws were presented to a jury in a first-degree murder trial. Justice Renee Pomerance, who presided over the trial, instructed the jury to consider first-degree murder if they believed Veltman intended to kill the victims and planned and deliberated his attack. The jury’s decision on the terror allegations’ role in the verdict remains unclear.
Veltman testified during the trial that he was influenced by the writings of the New Zealand mosque gunman who committed the mass killings in 2019. He admitted to contemplating a similar attack and had researched pedestrian-car collisions and their effects online. The trial also revealed video evidence of Veltman confessing his white nationalist motivations and his manifesto espousing unfounded conspiracy theories about Muslims.
As the court prepares for the sentencing of Nathaniel Veltman later this month, the impact of this devastating attack continues to reverberate through the community. The boy who survived, along with friends, relatives, and advocates, emphasize the urgent need to address and rectify the lethal consequences of hatred and Islamophobia within Canadian society.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on January 5, 2024.
