

Codi Wilson and Kayla Goodfield, CP24.com





Three of the ten people killed in a deadly van attack in North York on Monday have been identified.

Anne Marie D’Amico, Chul Min “Eddie” Kang and Dorothy Sewell were killed after a driver of a rental van plowed down pedestrians along a busy stretch of Yonge Street, near Finch Avenue, at around 1:30 p.m.

The first victim of the fatal incident to be identified was D’Amico. The woman’s family said the student leader and volunteer is being remembered as a person who “embodied the definition of altruism.”

In a statement released Tuesday, D’Amico’s family said she had a “generous heart and always did big things for people.”

“She wouldn’t stop until she went the extra mile for others and that was manifested in her loving attention to detail. She genuinely wanted to care for all those around her even if it meant sacrificing a portion of herself in return for others' happiness. She only had kindness in her,” her family’s statement read.

“Her name has been broadcasted around the world, attached to this terrible tragedy. But we want everyone to know that she embodied the definition of altruism. It comforts us knowing that the world has a chance to know her and we hope that in this time, people fight with the same altruism rather than anger and hatred.”

Abdullah Snobar, who met D'Amico when she was a student at Ryerson, said she was an active student volunteer during her time at the university.

"I had the pleasure working with Anne Marie for a few years while she was a student and even alumni at the university. Anne Marie was honestly one of the most happy, cheerful people you could ever meet, a person that brought an extremely positive attitude to everything that she did," Snobar told CP24 during a Facetime interview on Tuesday.

"This is a very sad moment. A lot of us are grieving around this very unfortunate circumstance and we just want to shed light on her character as an incredible human being, a person that’s all about caring, giving, and uplifting everyone around her."

Most recently D'Amico had been working at Invesco, an investment management company with a Toronto office located near the scene of the attack.

In a statement released Tuesday, the company confirmed one of their staff members had been killed in the incident but did not release the employee's name.

"Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with all those impacted by this tragic event," Invesco Canada President Peter Intraligi said in the written statement.

"I can now confirm that unfortunately one of our employees has succumbed to her injuries. Out of respect for her and her family, we will not be providing any further comments."

Tennis Canada says D’Amico became an “integral part” of its volunteer team after starting out as a ball girl.

The organization said she was voted “volunteer of the year” in 2016.

“Anne-Marie lived for working at Rogers Cup and seeing her fellow volunteers each summer. The tournament was such a large part of her life and we were so lucky to have her on our team each summer,” Gavin Ziv, vice-president of professional events at Tennis Canada, said in a written statement released Tuesday.

“Her passion for Rogers Cup was contagious and we are honoured to let the world know what an amazing person she was and the great things she did for others.”

Another victim of the attack, Kang, was identified by coworkers to CTV News Toronto on Tuesday afternoon.

Armando Sandobal, who worked with Kang as a chef for four years, said he is overcome with emotions after hearing about this tragedy.

“I feel bad because he (Kang) was my partner, we worked together and then this happened,” he said. “I am angry.”

“He had a passion for food. He had a passion for cooking.”

Kang worked at Copacabana Brazilian Steakhouse, which is located in the area of Adelaide and Duncan streets.

In a statement, the restaurant said Kang’s death brings the company “great sadness.”

“Eddie was an important member of our Adelaide Team where he was employed as a concept chef for our Copa By Sea location,” corporate director John Paul Mannella said in the statement.

“He will be deeply missed by all who knew him.”

A third victim, 80-year-old Sewell, has been identified by her grandson as one of the victims of the fatal incident.

Elwood Delaney said his grandmother was an avid sports fan who was the “best nan anyone could have asked for.”

“You will always be loved and your love for sports will always be with me while I cheer with you,” Delaney said in a Facebook post on Tuesday. “Love you nan.”

Police have not confirmed any of the identifications for the 10 people killed and 14 others injured in the incident.

Speaking on Tuesday, Det. Sgt. Graham Gibson said it will take officers “several days” before they begin releasing any names. Gibson said police are currently in the process of notifying family members of victims killed in the attack.

Gibson said the victims’ ages range between 20 and 80 years old.

A South Korean news agency reported Tuesday that two South Koreans were among those killed. Another South Korean was among the injured, the news agency said, citing the South Korean government as its source.

The Jordanian embassy in Canada confirmed that one Jordanian citizen is also among the dead.

Seneca College confirmed that one of its students was killed in the incident but did not release the name of the victim.

"The Seneca community is deeply saddened by the horrific attack on Yonge Street yesterday. Our thoughts are with all those affected, including the family and friends of one of our students who died as a result of the tragic incident," Seneca College spokesperson Lisa Pires said in an emailed statement. "Along with the rest of the city, and world, we are extremely troubled by yesterday’s events. For privacy reasons we do not disclose information about our students and employees. Out of respect for those involved, we will not be providing further comment. We ask the media to respect our community during this difficult time."

A growing memorial has been set up in Olive Square, near Yonge Street and Finch Avenue, in honour of those impacted by the tragedy.

Konstantin Goulich, the organizer of the memorial, said the outpouring of support has been “incredible.”

He said people have been coming at all hours of the day and night to leave flowers and write messages of condolences in many different languages.

“I walked out of my building and I saw bodies on the ground and I knew I had to do something. I needed to give people an opportunity to express themselves,” he said.

“My message is that hate will not solve this and we need to basically unite and bring some closure to people.”