OTTAWA: A Canadian white nationalist who deliberately ran over and killed four members of a Muslim family with his pickup truck in 2021 was sentenced Thursday to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 25 years.
Nathaniel Veltman, 23, was found guilty of first-degree murder last November for the attack that shocked Canada. He did not react much to the decision, the London newspaper Free Press reported.
The judge in the case said Veltman’s attack constituted an act of terrorism, the first time the term had been used to describe white nationalist violence.
Veltman ran over five members of the Afzaal family, originally from Pakistan, in Ontario, London, while they were out for an evening walk in June 2021.
The victims were Salman Afzaal (46), his wife Madiha Salman (44), their 15-year-old daughter Yumnah and Afzaal’s 74-year-old mother Talat.
“We don’t know if it’s closure or justice. What we do know is that the verdict will not bring back what was stolen,” said Tabinda Bukhari, Salman’s mother.
“This trial was not just about one act. It was a stark reminder of the fault lines that run deep in our society,” she told reporters outside court.
It was the worst attack on Canadian Muslims since 2017, when a man shot and killed six people at a mosque in Quebec.
Crown attorney Sarah Shaikh, who helped prosecute the case, said Veltman committed a “uniquely heinous” crime targeting Muslims as a whole.
“Hatred and ideologically motivated violence against an entire community can never be tolerated in a free and democratic society,” she said.
The nine-year-old son of the dead couple suffered serious injuries in the attack. Shortly after the attack, Veltman said, “I did it. I killed those people.”
Veltman pleaded not guilty to the murder charge. His defense, citing what it called Veltman’s mental problems, said the actions amounted to a lesser charge of manslaughter.
Judge Renee Pomerance, who presided over the case, dissented. “I find that the perpetrator’s actions constitute terrorist activity,” the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. quoted her as saying.
Prosecutors noted that Veltman wrote a manifesto titled “White Awakening” in which he outlined hatred of Islam and opposition to mass immigration and multiculturalism.
Defense attorney Christopher Hicks said he believed the terrorism ruling was inevitable, given the circumstances of the case and what he called a long and difficult process. Asked about a possible appeal, he said “the elements of an appeal are present,” adding that he would have to consult with Veltman first.
