Nathaniel Veltman has been found guilty of four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder in the killing of four members of a Muslim family in London, Ont.
The jury delivered its verdict less than one day after receiving final instructions from Justice Renee Pomerance.
It was the first case where Canada’s terrorism laws were put before a jury in a first-degree murder trial.
The 22-year-old had pleaded not guilty to deliberately hitting the Afzaal family with his truck on June 6, 2021, while they were out for a walk.
Forty-six-year-old Salman Afzaal; his 44-year-old wife, Madiha Salman; their 15-year-old daughter, Yumna; and her 74-year-old grandmother, Talat Afzaal, were killed in the attack, while the couple’s nine-year-old son was seriously hurt but survived.
Prosecutors argued that Veltman carried out a terrorist act and should be convicted on all charges.
The defence argued Veltman was not guilty of first-degree murder, nor did he commit an act of terrorism, because he didn’t have criminal intent to kill the victims and didn’t deliberately plan the attack.
Sentencing for Veltman will be held at a later date.
