(CNN) Shortly before he allegedly killed 10 pedestrians Monday, Alek Minassian may have praised a man who vowed to "destroy" women who rejected him .
"All hail the Supreme Gentleman Elliot Rodger!" reads a Facebook page believed to be Minassian's. The accolade apparently refers to the California killer who carried out a " day of retribution " in 2014.
Toronto police said Wednesday that Minassian posted a cryptic message to Facebook just before he allegedly took off in his vehicle. Sgt. Graham Gibson, a homicide detective, said Minassian's feelings about Rodger will be part of the investigation.
Minassian is accused of plowing a rental van into victims along busy Toronto street. So far, police have not cited a possible motive.
A deeper look into Minassian's past reveals an impressionable and socially awkward young man who dropped out of military training and was "terrified" of women, a former classmate says.
Who is this suspect?
- Minassian, 25, is from the Toronto suburb of Richmond Hill, police said.
- On Monday, he allegedly drove a rented van down the street with reckless abandon, swerving into the wrong lanes of traffic and careening onto a sidewalk. Ten people were killed, and 14 people were injured.
- Minassian was charged with 10 counts of first-degree murder and 13 counts of attempted murder. Another charge of attempted murder is being considered, officials said.
- Toronto authorities said they had no previous interactions with him, but a US law enforcement official said Minassian had been known to authorities.
- A former classmate said Minassian often succumbed to peer pressure -- such as running down a hallway shirtless when dared by other students. The classmate, who didn't want to be identified, said they bonded during special-needs classes at Wyndham Ridge Public School and Thornlea Secondary School.
- The classmate said Minassian was very self-deprecating. "If you put him down or disrespected him or insulted him, he would agree with you," the classmate said.
Photos: Van strikes pedestrians in Toronto Photos: Van strikes pedestrians in Toronto Police inspect a van used to strike pedestrians in the North York area of Toronto on Monday, April 23. Multiple people were killed or injured as the van swerved onto the sidewalk, plowing over people in its path. Hide Caption 1 of 8 Photos: Van strikes pedestrians in Toronto An overview of the scene in Toronto. Police arrested suspect Alek Minassian, of Richmond Hill, Ontario, in a white rental van less than 30 minutes after receiving a 911 call about the incident. Hide Caption 2 of 8 Photos: Van strikes pedestrians in Toronto Emergency workers stand around the body of a victim. Hide Caption 3 of 8 Photos: Van strikes pedestrians in Toronto This aerial view shows part of the scene after the van plowed through. Hide Caption 4 of 8 Photos: Van strikes pedestrians in Toronto Coroners wait to transport victims' bodies. Hide Caption 5 of 8 Photos: Van strikes pedestrians in Toronto People embrace at the scene. Hide Caption 6 of 8 Photos: Van strikes pedestrians in Toronto A bystander looks on near a dislodged fire hydrant at the scene. Hide Caption 7 of 8 Photos: Van strikes pedestrians in Toronto A tarp covers a victim's body on Yonge Street at Finch Avenue in Toronto. Hide Caption 8 of 8
- Minassian also had severe anxiety when interacting with females and would freeze, unable to respond, the classmate said. "He was genuinely terrified with interacting verbally or physically at all, except for his mother," the classmate said.
- Another former classmate said Minassian was odd and kept to himself, but "he was always smiling."
- Minassian served in the Canadian Armed Forces last year, from August to October, a spokeswoman told CNN.
"He did not complete his recruit training and requested to be voluntarily released from the CAF after 16 days of recruit training," the Department of National Defence said. "For privacy reasons, we will not comment further on Alek Minassian's service in the CAF."
What about the motive?
- Authorities haven't released a motive. But, so far, officials are not calling this an act of terrorism. "There would appear to be no national security connection," Canadian Minister of Public Safety Ralph Goodale said.
- Just before the attack, it appears Minassian praised Rodger on his Facebook account, CNN law enforcement analyst Josh Campbell said.
Rodger killed six people and injured 14 others in a stabbing, shooting and vehicle-ramming attack in 2014 near the University of California, Santa Barbara campus.
Investigators noted that Rodger was motivated by a personal grievance related to the extremist ideological subculture of men's rights activists. Supporters believe women don't want gender equality and have been brainwashed by feminist propaganda.
After his rampage, Rodger died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
How was Minassian caught?
- Minassian was arrested about seven minutes after police got a 911 call about the deadly rampage, Toronto police Chief Mark Saunders said.
JUST WATCHED Video appears to show Toronto police standoff Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Video appears to show Toronto police standoff 01:35
- He may have engaged in a tense standoff with police before his arrest. A cell phone video obtained by CNN partner CTV shows a man standing in front of a white van with a damaged front bumper, but officials haven't confirmed whether the man is Minassian.
The man yells and extends one arm, pointing an object at an officer standing behind a black car.
The officer, his weapon drawn, points at the man. The officer slowly steps toward him and yells "Get down, get down!"
Later in the video, the man is on the ground as the officer cuffs his hands behind him. The object, which Saunders said was not a gun, also drops to the ground.
(CNN) "Get down!" commands the Toronto police officer, his gun raised, his voice firm.
"Kill me!" the man yells in return. His arm is fully extended toward the officer in an aggressive stance.
The officer had a life-or-death decision to make.
Moments earlier, a man allegedly drove a van into multiple pedestrians in a suburb of the Canadian metropolis. Ten people died.
But in this moment, the stakes were clear.
Read More
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption "Anybody in his way, he would hit": Witnesses recall Toronto van incident
Canadian police are questioning a man suspected of driving a rented van into pedestrians in northern Toronto on Monday, killing 10 and injuring 15.
Alek Minassian, 25, was not previously known to authorities, police said, adding that the incident appeared deliberate but no motive was clear.
Mr Minassian was arrested after a tense standoff with a police officer.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the incident a "senseless attack and a horrific tragedy".
The officer who arrested Mr Minassian was praised for not opening fire during a standoff with the suspect, who claimed to be armed and pointed an object at the officer.
Video broadcast on CBC News showed the suspect shouting "kill me", while the officer instructs him to get down.
When he said he had a gun, the officer said: "I don't care. Get down." He was then arrested without any shots being fired. He is due in court at 10:00 local time (14:00 GMT) on Tuesday.
Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, Mr Trudeau praised the police officers involved, who he said "faced danger without a moment of hesitation".
How did the incident unfold?
Police said the suspect in the van mounted the kerb on Yonge Street between Finch Avenue and Sheppard Avenue at about 13:30 local time (17:30 GMT) on Monday and drove into pedestrians along a 1km (0.6-mile) stretch.
Reza Hashemi, who owns a video shop on Yonge Street, told the BBC he heard screaming on the other side of the road. He said the van was repeatedly mounting the pavement and running into people.
One witness told City News that the driver was "hitting anything that comes in the way".
"People, fire hydrants, there's mail boxes being run over," said the unnamed man, who said he was driving behind the van during the incident.
As the van continued, the man said he sounded his horn to try to warn pedestrians. "I witnessed at least six, seven people being hit and flying in the air, like killed, on the street," he said.
Image copyright LinkedIn Image caption Suspect Alek Minassian is due to appear in court on Tuesday morning
Pictures from the scene showed bodies covered in orange sheets along the van's route. Debris and items of clothing were scattered across the pavements and road.
The van was brought to a halt by police several streets away and was quickly surrounded. The suspect was arrested 26 minutes after the first emergency call was made to the police.
What is known of the suspect?
Police said Mr Minassian was from the northern Toronto suburb of Richmond Hill and was not previously known to authorities. "The actions definitely looked deliberate," said Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders.
Public safety minister Ralph Goodale said there "would appear to be no national security connections" and Canadian broadcaster CBC cited government officials as saying he was not associated with any known terror groups.
Skip Twitter post by @JustinTrudeau The @TorontoPolice and first responders faced danger without hesitation today, and I want to thank them for their courage and professionalism. We’ll continue working with our law enforcement partners as the investigation continues. — Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) April 24, 2018 Report
Mr Minassian had previously attended a school for students with special needs in north Toronto, former classmates said.
He would be seen walking around Thornlea Secondary School with his head down and hands clasped tightly together making meowing noises, Shereen Chami told Reuters.
But she said Mr Minassian had not been violent. "He wasn't a social person, but from what I remember he was absolutely harmless," she told Reuters.
Image copyright EPA Image caption Emergency services flooded the area along Yonge Street
Another former student, Ari Bluff, told CBC that Minassian did not seem to have many friends. "I remember seeing him probably just walking down the halls, usually by himself, or in the cafeteria by himself," he said.
Mr Minassian went on to attend Seneca College in the North York area of Toronto, where the van incident took place, CBC reported.
Reporter James Moore, with Newtalk 1010, told the BBC he had heard reports that Mr Minassian was regarded as being "quite brilliant".
Canada's Globe and Mail quotes a fellow student as saying Minassian was good at working with specialised computer chips used to process images.
What about the victims?
So far, the name of only one of those who died has emerged. She has been identified as Anne-Marie D'Amico, who worked for the US investment company, Invesco, CBC reports. The company's Canadian headquarters are on Yonge Street.
A South Korean foreign ministry official told AFP news agency that two of its citizens were among the dead.
The 15 injured remain in hospitals throughout Toronto.
What else is known?
Van rental company Ryder System Inc confirmed that one of its vehicles was involved and said it was co-operating with authorities.
The incident happened while foreign ministers of the G7 leading industrialised nations - Canada, the US, Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Japan - were holding talks in Toronto.
Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said the G7 meetings would continue on Tuesday as planned. "The work of the ministers obviously goes on. This is a very sad day for the people of Toronto and the people of Canada," she said.
City Mayor John Tory urged residents to remain calm. "This kind of tragic incident is not representative of how we live or who we are or anything to do with life in the city on a day-to-day basis," he said.
The White House issued a statement saying the US "stands with the Canadian people" and offering "any support Canada may need".
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption People signed a memorial card for the victims near the scene
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WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT. Police officers stand near a covered body on the road. Christian Ali, who drove down Yonge Street shortly afterwards, said he saw three people lying in the street. ‘There was a lot of blood flowing,’ he told the Guardian.
Photograph: Chris Donovan/Reuters
