First of 10 victims of deadly Toronto van attack ID'd as Anne-Marie D'Amico

LATEST UPDATES: 

• First of 10 dead after Monday van attack ID'd as Anne Marie D'Amico, 15 hospitalized
• Police seeking help from the public to identify victims.
• Alek Minassian, 25, arrested and expected to appear in court at 10 a.m. ET. today
• Federal public safety minister said Monday events "do not appear to be connected in any way to national security."

One of the 10 people killed in Monday's van attack on a busy Toronto street has been identified as Anne-Marie D'Amico, CBC News has learned.

D'Amico was reportedly an employee at Invesco, a U.S.-based investment management firm. Her next of kin have been notified. Invesco's Canadian headquarters are on Yonge Street, between Sheppard and Finch Avenues, close to the nearly one-kilometre stretch of Yonge Street where pedestrians were struck with the white rental van. Fifteen other people were injured and hospitalized.

Alek Minassian, 25, was arrested and is set for a court appearance this morning.

Police say the probe into the attack will take time as investigators appeal for information to help them identify victims and determine a motive.

The incident began around Yonge Street and Finch Avenue around 1:30 p.m. ET on Monday and ended with an arrest about a half-hour later. The driver of the van travelled several blocks south, plowing into pedestrians and causing panic.

"We're all putting our pieces together to see exactly what we have," Toronto police Chief Mark Saunders said Monday night as he confirmed that the death toll had risen to 10, with 15 more injured.

Saunders told reporters that the majority of victims had not yet been identified.

He said the attack "definitely appeared deliberate," but what motivated it was less clear. 

View an interactive map of Yonge Street to see how authorities reacted immediately after the attack

More details are expected later today. Minassian's court appearance is set for 10 a.m. ET.

A resident of the Toronto suburb of Richmond Hill, Minassian was not known to police, Saunders said.

The 25-year-old was detained after a tense standoff with police during which Minassian appeared to be trying to provoke the officer into shooting him.

Minassian, listed on his LinkedIn profile as a college student from 2011-2018, appeared to have been brought into custody without serious injury. 

Garry Clement, a former RCMP superintendent and current CEO of Clement Advisory Group, told CBC's As It Happens that he thinks the officers involved "deserve to be commended because they they demonstrated a lot of restraint."

Saunders said officers in Toronto are taught to use as "little force as possible in any given situation." 

The chief couldn't say exactly what was in the man's hand, but said there's no indication the man had a gun when he was arrested.

He praised his officers for their efforts, saying police were working extra hours and focusing on priority calls as the investigation unfolds.

When asked if the city is safe, Saunders said: "Yes, the city is safe."

Major investigation

Part of the investigation will involve trying to understand what prompted someone to turn a rental van into a weapon.

Kenneth Wu, one of many people who saw the van on the move, told CBC News he saw the van strike a woman and then locked eyes with the driver.

"As soon as he passed my car, he turned around and looked at me face-to-face," Wu said. "That's when I saw he was a very angry and scared young guy."

Saunders said police are still investigating — and collaborating with provincial and federal counterparts — as they work at the scene, gather information and talk to witnesses.

Federal Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said Monday that the "events that happened on the street behind us are horrendous but they do not appear to be connected in any way to national security, based on the information available at this time."

Goodale was in Toronto for a meeting of G7 security ministers, who are expected to discuss the issue of unsecured public spaces, or so-called soft targets.  

'Pure carnage'

The attack has shaken the city, but for many from the area, it has hit particularly hard. 

Colin Gervais, who lives in the neighbourhood, came out to pay his respects.

Racha Tfaili, another area resident, said the attack made her nervous — and sad for those who have lost loved ones.

"I couldn't believe that it was basically at our doorstep," she said. "Our hearts are with all of the families who lost somebody today."

On Monday, acting EMS supervisor John Flengas described the scene as "pure carnage." 

Sunnybrook Hospital, which accepted many of the injured, said "our thoughts are with all those affected by today's tragic incident."

"We would like to thank all first responders, our health system partners, and the many teams in our hospital for their tremendous work today."

Anyone missing a friend or family member is asked to call Toronto Police at 416-808-8085.