Toronto van attack killer would carry out attack again to better ‘kill count,’ court hears

By The Canadian Press

A psychiatrist says the man who killed 10 pedestrians in Toronto’s van attack said he’d consider carrying it out again to better his “kill count.”

Dr. Alexander Westphal is testifying for the defence at the trial of Alek Minassian and says the 28-year-old views people as objects and does not understand that what he did was wrong.

On Tuesday, Westhphal said the man who killed 10 people in Toronto’s van attack two years ago feels no emotion over what he did.

Westphal testified that Minassian describes the attack in a way similar to someone talking about killing characters in a video game.

Westphal says that’s because Minassian lacks empathy due to his autism spectrum disorder.

The psychiatrist says Minassian never developed a true understanding that other people have feelings and would suffer as a result of what he did.

Minassian, from Richmond Hill, Ont., has pleaded not guilty to 10 counts of first-degree murder and 16 of attempted murder and argues he should be found not criminally responsible for his actions on April 23, 2018.

He has admitted to planning and carrying out the attack, leaving his state of mind the sole issue at the judge-alone trial.

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