Canada truck attack: Nathaniel Veltman pleads not guilty to killing Pakistani-Canadian Muslim family

A Canadian man has pleaded not guilty to the charges that he drove his car into a Muslim family from Pakistan, killing four of them in London, Ontario, BBC reported on Wednesday.

The three generations of the same family were out on a stroll in 2021 when Nathaniel Veltman, a 22-year-old young man, allegedly ran them over with the purpose of intentionally attacking the family because of their religious beliefs.

Four allegations of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder have been brought against Veltman, and the jury selection process for the trial has begun.

According to CBC News, Veltman remained silent in court throughout his trial. 

Prosecutors must demonstrate that the defendant's actions were not only calculated and deliberate but also driven by a political, religious or ideological cause, as Veltman's charges include terrorism counts as well.

Salman Afzaal, 46, and his wife Madiha Salman, 44; their daughter Yumna Afzaal, 15; and Afzaal's mother Talat Afzaal, 74, were killed while on an evening walk on 6 June 2021.

Three generations of the Afzaal family were killed in the incident, leaving just one survivor, the couple's then-nine-year-old son who was seriously hurt but survived.

According to a relative of the family, Madiha and Salman had come to Canada from Pakistan for a better future.

Veltman was arrested near London's oldest mosque, where the Afzaal family are devoted members, shortly after the attack, wearing body armour and a helmet, according to police.

The attack in Canada caused widespread grief and fear in Canada, while London's Muslim community mourned the loss of a family.

Abd Alfatah Twakkal, chair of the London Council of Imams, spoke outside the court, saying: "Tomorrow, September the 6th, 2023, marks exactly 27 months since a horrific tragedy struck the Muslim community in London.

"Our hope is that we can continue to heal as a community and we'll achieve some level of closure at the conclusion of this trial."

Meanwhile, the Superior Court trial is expected to last about three months.