CBC News has confirmed that Alek Minassian, a 25-year-old Richmond Hill man, the news agency says in a story online. Minassian’s LinkedIn profile identifies him as a student at Seneca College. Police have told CBC that the suspect is not associated with any organized terrorist group and he does not represent a larger threat to national security. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the investigation, the CBC says Witness Jamie Eopni, who saw the struggle to arrest the driver, had estimated that he might be as old at 40. But the person taken into custody had his head shaved, making him seem older. Tom Winter of NBC News say that “multiple law enforcement officials in Canada and the US say the preliminary theory is that Minassian may have had mental health issues and had an online discussion about Elliot Rodger who went on a rampage at UC Santa Barbara.” At a news conference Monday nght, Chief Saunders was unable to indicate a motive but he did say that authorities believe the the action was not about national security. Twitter is alive with people who say they knew Mr. Minassian in some capacity offering a range of unverified allegations about his mental state and intelligence.
- Only driver’s license and credit card required to rent van
- A very angry and scared young guy’ Witness describes driver in Yonge & Finch incident