Investigation into the Motive of the Deadly Toronto Attacker Continues

The 25-year-old assailant who ran over pedestrians in Toronto, Canada, is facing 10 counts of murder. Canadian officials have stated that this attack does not constitute a 'national security threat.' Investigations into the motive behind the attack are ongoing. Alek Minassian attacked pedestrians with his van on the busy 'Yonge' street on the third of Ordibehesht, killing 10 and injuring 15. The Canadian police arrested him shortly after the attack. Despite the immediate arrest and identification of the assailant, Canadian police and security forces have not officially disclosed further details regarding the possible motives. Based on witness accounts, it appeared that Minassian deliberately targeted pedestrians. On Tuesday, Detective Graham Gibson of the Canadian police told reporters that it seems the assailant posted a cryptic message on Facebook just minutes before running over the pedestrians. However, it is unclear whether this message is part of the police investigation. The Canadian newspaper 'Star' states that the authenticity of this Facebook message is 'deeply questionable,' and the timing of the post coincided almost exactly with the attack on pedestrians. CBC Canada, citing the police, reports that the investigation is likely to be time-consuming; security forces have also asked citizens to provide any information that may help uncover the motive behind the attack and the identities of the victims. The Yonge street incident in Toronto is considered one of the worst and deadliest attacks of its kind in Canadian history. Last year, six people were killed in an attack by a far-right extremist on a mosque in Quebec City. Three years prior to that, a man shot six adults and two children. In 1996, a man upset over his divorce killed his wife and eight of her family members. In 1989, an armed assailant attacked an engineering classroom with a semi-automatic weapon, killing 14 women. Marc Lépine, the perpetrator of that attack, had claimed prior to the incident that he was 'waging war against feminism.'