A Canadian court has sentenced a man to life in prison in relation to the murder of a Muslim family that the judge in the case described as "white nationalist" terrorism.
The defendant in the case, 22-year-old Nathaniel Veltman, was given five life sentences, four of which were for murder and the last was for attempted murder. The suspect was initially found guilty of the crime in November last year.
Sentencing Man Who Killed Muslim Family
Veltman ran down the Muslim family with his truck in 2021 as the victims were walking in London, Ontario. The deceased were identified as 46-year-old Salman Afzaal, his wife 44-year-old Madiha Salman, their daughter 15-year-old Yumna Afzaal, and 74-year-old Talat Afzaal.
Other than the deceased, the couple's nine-year-old son, who has not been identified, was seriously injured in the incident. Based on evidence that was introduced during the trial, the defendant targeted the Muslim family randomly after spotting the two women wearing traditional Pakistani dress, as per BBC.
Court Justice Renee Pomerance said that the defendant was "seeking a place in the spotlight" when he decided to attack the Muslim family. On Thursday, during her sentencing of the defendant, she said that it was her hope that the sense of fear and intimidation would not be a lasting message of the defendant's actions.
Pomerance also noted that Veltman picked out the Muslim family, who were innocent victims he had never met. He later confessed to law enforcement authorities following the crime and flashed the OK symbol, which is an everyday gesture that white supremacists have attempted to co-opt.
The judge said that the suspect wanted to commit a crime against all Muslims by threatening their safety and security. Following the sentencing, the defendant will not be eligible for parole for at least 25 years.
Life in Prison
The case marked the first time that a Canadian jury heard legal arguments regarding white supremacist terrorism. In January, during an earlier sentencing hearing, an unprecedented number of victim impact statements were given in court, nearly 70, according to CBC.
Relatives of the slain Afzaal family released a statement following the hearing, noting that the sentencing brought relief to people near and far. The statement added that terrorism designation of the horrific crime acknowledges the hate that fueled the killing.
The judge on Thursday also pointed to the impact of "social media and other internet sources," including the dark web, in ramping up and spreading messages of hate. Pomerance noted that it was too simplistic to draw a straight line of causation between the defendant's actions and what has been read online.
During the trial, Veltman's lawyers did not challenge the accusations that their client had deliberately driven his vehicle into the Muslim family. However, they argued that the crime was an impulsive act that the defendant did after he consumed psilocybin, which is more commonly known as magic mushrooms, a few hours prior to the crime.
They also argued that Veltman suffered from mental health problems and had difficulty controlling "an urge or obsession to put his foot on the gas" of his pickup, said the New York Times.
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