JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville’s Filipino community is honoring the 11 lives lost in a tragic vehicle ramming attack during a street festival in Vancouver, Canada last weekend.
It’s a loss being felt in Northeast Florida, where there is a significant Filipino population numbering in the thousands.
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Thursday night, a vigil was held outside the Jessie Ball duPont Center in Downtown Jacksonville. The event was hosted by the group Jax Filipinos.
According to U.S. Census data, Duval County is home to the largest Filipino population in Florida. That’s why the loss is hitting especially close to home for many in the local community.
The vigil started outside a downtown mural titled “The Roots That Ground Us,” a visual tribute to Filipino heritage.
“We have a huge population here — kind of spread out, but huge population in Duval County,” said Joshua Ang Price, a board member with Jax Filipinos.
Price says a close friend of his was attending the festival in Vancouver.
“She left just a few minutes before the attack happened,” he said.
The vigil features 11 candles — one for each of the victims who died after an SUV plowed through the crowd.
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Canadian authorities have ruled out terrorism as a motive but confirmed the suspect was undergoing mental health treatment.
Following the vigil, Jeremy Obach, founder of Pinoy Run Tribe, led a walk and run in solidarity.
“We’re trying not to despair,” Obach said. “To continue to be out here and be proud, and not feel like we don’t belong here.”
Jacksonville’s Filipino community is united in mourning — and in hope.
“I think as long as we stick together, we’ll pull through,” said Price. “I’m really happy we’re having this vigil… to send positive vibes to our kababayans in Vancouver.”
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