Canada man goes on trial for killing four members of Muslim family

A Canadian man accused of deliberately running over and killing four members of a Muslim family in London, Ontario has pleaded not guilty, as jury selection for his trial started.

Nathaniel Veltman is accused of deliberately hitting the Afzaal family members with his truck as they were out for a walk on the evening of June 6, 2021. He has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder.

The prosecution is alleging that Veltman, who was 20 at the time of his arrest, was motivated by extremist right-wing views associated with white supremacy when he intentionally drove his truck over a curb to strike the Muslim family members.

London police allege that Veltman deliberately ran over the family in "a planned, premeditated act, motivated by hate".

Veltman, who wore a long-sleeve white shirt and black pants in court, was sitting quietly between his defence lawyers Hicks and Peter Ketcheson during the jury selection process.

Jury selection was set to continue for the trial which is expected to last 12 weeks.

Superior Court Justice Renee Pomerance ruled last year that a change of venue is warranted in the case, moving the trial from London to Windsor, Ontario.

The reasons for that decision, as well as the evidence and arguments pre sented in court, cannot be disclosed due to a publication ban.

Salman Afzaal, 46, his 44-year-old wife Madiha Salman, their 15-year-old daughter Yumnah and her 74-year-old grandmother, Talat Afzaal, were killed in the attack. The couple’s 9-year-old son was also seriously hurt but survived.

The attack on the Afzaal family sent waves of shock, grief and fear across Canada and spurred ongoing calls for measures to combat Islamophobia in the country.

The City of London dedicated a garden to the Afzaal family.

At the time, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called it a "terrorist attack. "

"The unthinkable violence that the family faced should be a marker for the entire country," said Aasiyah Khan, of the National Council of Canadian Muslims.

"We look forward to seeing how our court system will send a message that all Canadians should be protected from terrorism, no matter the ethnicity or ideology of the attacker."

The London killings followed a shooting at a mosque in Quebec City in 2017, which left six dead. The perpetrator of that shooting was not charged with terrorism.