News Anchor Remembers How Joyous Attendees Were Before Vancouver Attack That Killed 11: 'Shattered by this Horrific, Horrific Act'

A news anchor who helped to emcee the Vancouver festival where 11 people were killed over the weekend remembers how joyous the attendees were before tragedy struck.

“An event that was not innocent, but peaceful and fun, loving and unifying was just shattered by this horrific, horrific act,” Jason Pires, Global BC anchor, tells PEOPLE.

On Saturday, April 26, a man drove an SUV at high speed into a crowd of people celebrating the Lapu Lapu Day festival. Eleven people, ages 5 to 65, were killed, and more than two dozen others were injured, Vancouver police said on social media.

The event — honoring Lapu Lapu Day, a Filipino holiday, per NPR — was attended by “up to 100,000 people,” according to the BBC. 

Pires, 51, says the day started off as a family-friendly celebration filled with laughter, food and great weather. He left for a birthday party before the attack took place, but returned to the festival grounds when he heard what happened.

“It’s really gut wrenching to come back to the scene and see the aftermath and talk to survivors and family,” he tells PEOPLE, adding that because of his connection to the Filipino community, “it’s obviously deeply personal.” (Pires is half-Filipino.)

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Though a motive for the attack remains unclear, police do not believe the violence was an act of terror.

Pires says that despite the tragedy, Filipino pride is what’s allowing everyone to push through and come together.

“That sense of unity is growing,” he tells PEOPLE. “We got to get through this and we won’t be deterred by this random act of violence.”

Police said the suspect, later identified as 30-year-old Kai-Ji Adam Lo, was arrested at the scene after bystanders detained him.

He has since been charged with eight counts of second-degree murder and authorities said further charges are anticipated. It’s unclear if he has entered a plea or retained an attorney to speak on his behalf.

Vancouver Police Interim Chief Steve Rai said at a press conference on April 27 that Lo was “known to police” and had “a significant history of interactions with police and health care professionals, related to mental health.”