Nathaniel Veltman was found guilty Thursday of first-degree and attempted murder in the killings of four members of a Muslim family in London, Ontario in 2021.
The 12-member jury took six hours to reach the verdict after a 10-week trial. Veltman also faced terror charges, the first time such charges had been placed before a jury in Canada.
The Afzaal family was out for a walk on the evening of June 6 in London, Ontario and strolled on the sidewalk when they were mowed down by a half-ton truck driven by Veltman,22 -- a self-confessed white nationalist.
The father, Salman, 46, his mother Talat, 74, his wife Madiha Salman, 44 and daughter Yumna, 15, were killed. Salman's son, who was nine at the time, survived the attack but was seriously injured and left an orphan.
Veltman pleaded not guilty and his defense lawyer argued the crime was not premeditated, a circumstance necessary to find one accused guilty of first-degree murder in Canada.
But the prosecution said it was a planned terror attack motivated by a political, ideological or religious purpose intended to intimidate the public.
Under Canadian law, the reasons for a verdict are secret, so the finding for the verdict -- while the jury sided with the prosecution's argument -- is not known.
The crime was committed in London but the trial was held in Windsor, Ontario, 165 kilometers (102 miles) away. The reason for the change of venue was under a court publication ban.
The courtroom was packed as the verdict was delivered, many of the spectators were Muslims who had traveled from London.
"We hope that this final chapter in the legal saga following the attack will soon serve as a step toward healing for the affected family and the community in London, Ontario," the National Council of Canadian Muslims said in a statement after the verdict was delivered.
"It is time to build a better Canada that truly challenges the spike in Islamophobic hate crimes that has plagued Canada. We have become a leader among G-7 nations in Islamophobia-related fatalities," it added.
