Warning: Readers may find the contents of this story disturbing.
In the hours after four members of a Muslim family were fatally struck – and a fifth seriously injured – in London, Ont., the suspect in the case told a detective that he was left with “no choice” and that he hoped to “inspire more young men.”
Nathaniel Veltman is accused of deliberately hitting five members of the Afzaal family with his truck while they were out for a walk the evening of June 6, 2021.
The 22-year-old has pleaded not guilty to four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder.
On Friday, the jury watched a video of Detective Micah Bourdeau’s interview with Veltman in the early morning hours of June 7, 2021.
Bourdeau told the court that he has been with the London Police Service for over two decades, with the last five years spent in the major crimes section. He was not on duty when the attack occurred but was called in to work.
In video played for the jury, Bourdeau and Veltman could be seen in a small room. Veltman, in dark-coloured pants, white socks and a white t-shirt with a black cross on it, accepts an offer of water and shoes.
Bourdeau leaves and returns with the items, telling Veltman that he can request food at any time. He repeatedly asks Veltman if he understands his rights and “his situation” and gives him the opportunity to talk to legal counsel.
“I’m not planning on pleading insanity,” Veltman says.
“I want the world to know why I did what I did so I’m just going to tell you.”
Again, Bourdeau asks Veltman if he understands his rights.
“I just want it very crystal clear that anything you say to me is of your doing. You’re voluntarily telling me things,” Bourdeau says, before asking Veltman to start “at the beginning.”
Veltman mentions the 2016 U.S. election as the first time he noticed that the media was “very dishonest.”
He mentions feeling like he was “in jail” doing online schooling in his home for so long before he started looking further into “minority on white crime.”
The breaking point, he says, were so-called Muslim grooming gangs in the United Kingdom.
“I’m going to commit a terrorist attack,” he tells Bourdeau. “I’m done. I’m not putting up with this anymore.”
He tells Bourdeau that he “would blame the Western governments for what happened.”
“You could say, ‘oh, it’s your fault, Nate, you chose to commit violence’” but “they leave you no choice,” Veltman can be heard saying.
He adds that he wants to “inspire more young men to stop sitting around and letting this happen” and chose to use a truck instead of guns because “in the U.K., their guns are very hard to get a hold of” but that “you can use a vehicle, it works.”
He said that his intention on June 6, 2021 was to “go on a rampage” but he stopped after striking one group.
He said it was easier than he expected but “very distasteful.”
“It was very damaging to my soul what I did,” he told Bourdeau. “I don’t regret what I did. I feel like I had to do it.”
Court is on recess but will resume Friday afternoon.
Salman Afzaal, 46, 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 London attack. The couple’s nine-year-old son was also seriously hurt but survived.
The trial, which is taking place in Windsor, Ont., is expected to last eight weeks.
More to come.
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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