Minassian’s father testifies at Toronto van attack trial: ‘How is this even possible?’
Posted November 16, 2020 4:00 am.
Last Updated November 16, 2020 10:24 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Warning: Details of the trial are graphic in nature, discretion is advised
The father of a man on trial for killing 10 people and injuring 16 more in Toronto’s van attack testified on Monday that learning of his son’s involvement was like “being struck by lightning on a sunny day twice.”
Listening to his father Vahe “Vic” Minassian speak at the virtual trial Monday, Alek Minassian sat quietly in a black sports-coat, showing no emotion.
Minassian has pleaded not criminally responsible to 10 counts of first-degree murder and 16 counts of attempted murder, with his defence team arguing that he lacked the capacity to rationally decide whether the act was right or wrong.
His father testified that on the day of the fatal attack, April 23, 2018, his son said he was going to meet a friend at a Chapters store in Woodbridge and he offered him a ride. “It was a sunny day and the conversations were very positive,” he said.
Alek told his father he was happy school was over and he would have some time to catch up with friends and his brother before starting a new job as a computer programmer.
Later that day, Vahe Minassian was pulled over by a police officer and told they were investigating an incident involving a rental car, and that the person had used their address.
At the police station he was told someone in his family was associated with what he called “the accident” and it began to dawn on him that “something big, something substantial” had taken place.
He testified that police didn’t initially tell him Alek was involved, and that he learned the terrible truth when he saw the police take-down video of his son being arrested.
It was like “being struck by lightning on a sunny day twice,” he testified, saying he was in a “complete state of shock and confusion.”
“How is this even possible?” he says he asked himself as he watched the video.
CityNews reporter Adrian Ghobrial is covering the trial, follow his tweets below:
Asked if there was any indication that his son could be involved in such an violent act, Vahe replied: “Absolutely not … I’ve seen no history of violence. He was always described as a gentle person.”
He later added: “The only time there would have been any sign of anger would have been when he was very little and he’d have tantrums …”
Last week a psychiatrist hired by the defence found Minassian had an “autistic way of thinking” that was similar to psychosis. The court heard Monday that he was diagnosed at age five with Pervasive Development Disorder (PDD) — part of autism spectrum disorder.
When asked Monday if his son ever showed emotion when there was a tragedy on television, Vahe said, “the short answer to that is no … That sort of emotional response is always lacking to give you the short answer.”
He added that he and his family have been asking themselves since the day of the incident if there were any warning signs. “To this day we’re at a complete loss,” he testified.
Vahe Minassian said he visits his son regularly, but on the advice of his attorneys, they never discuss the attack.
“Has he ever appeared remorseful?” defence attorney Boris Bytensky asked him.
“No,” he replied.
“Has he ever apologized for what he’s done?”
“No.”
With files from The Canadian Press
