Toronto Van Attack Suspect Alek Minassian, Linked To Incel Community, Hit With Three More Attempted Murder Charges

The man accused of mowing down pedestrians in Toronto last month got slammed with three additional attempted murder charges Thursday.

Alek Minassian now faces 10 charges for murder and 16 for attempted murder, reflecting the death and injury tolls from the April 23 rampage.

Minassian stood with arms by his side and said nothing during a brief video appearance in court Thursday, according to the Associated Press. He did not enter a plea.

Minassian had described himself as an "incel," slang for an online community of men who consider themselves involuntarily celibate. The subculture often veers into misogyny, with some members such as Minassian praising Elliot Roger, who went on a killing spree in 2014 because he said women would not have sex with him.

Of the 10 people Minassian killed in his van attack, eight were women. 

Before the attack, a post appeared on Minassian's Facebook page calling Rodger a "Supreme Gentlemen" and saying the incels would "overthrow all the Chads and Stacys," referring to people with active sex lives. 

Altough Minassion has been linked to the "incel" community, authorities have still not commented on the suspect's possible motivation, only saying the crime was not considered terrorism.  

Defense attorney Boris Bytensky also declined to address the suspect's state of mind, saying, "This is still a grieving period for the city." 

Minassian allegedly drove onto a sidewalk ramming into pedestrians, killing 10 people ranging in age from 22 to 94, using a white rental van. A tense standoff with police followed. Minassian apparently pretended to reach for a gun, saying “Kill me!” Police managed to arrest him without firing a shot.

[Photo: Getty]