CAPTION: Harjit Sajjan is defending the military’s selection process after it was revealed that the Toronto van attack suspect was briefly a Forces member.

The defence minister said Alek Minassian served for two months. (April 24, 2018) 1.

SOUNDBITE: Harjit Sajjan, defence minister PLACELINE: Ottawa CREDIT: The Canadian Press STORYLINE: The man accused in a van attack that left 10 people dead in Toronto was briefly a member of the Canadian Armed Forces last year, a government spokeswoman said.

Alek Minassian was a member of the forces from Aug. 23, 2017 until Oct. 25, 2017, a spokeswoman with the Department of National Defence said. ``He did not complete his recruit training and requested to be voluntarily released from the CAF after 16 days of recruit training,'' said Jessica Lamirande.

Minassian, a 25-year-old from Richmond Hill, Ont., was charged on Tuesday with 10 counts of first-degree murder and 13 counts of attempted murder.

Ten people were killed and 15 people injured after a van mounted a sidewalk and drove into pedestrians along a busy stretch of a north Toronto street on Monday afternoon.