Nathaniel Veltman guilty of 1st–degree and attempted murder in 2021 attack on Muslim family in London, Ont.

After less than six hours of deliberations, the jury in the Nathaniel Veltman murder trial in Windsor, Ont., has reached a verdict of guilty of four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder related to the truck attack on a Muslim family in London in 2021.

The 12-member jury in the more than 10-week trial began deliberations on Wednesday and released its verdict early Thursday afternoon.

The attack drew condemnation across Canada and around the world, after police labelled it a hate crime related to anti-Muslim sentiments. First-degree murder carries an automatic sentence of life with no possibility of parole for 25 years.

The Afzaals were out for an evening walk in suburban London when they were struck by the truck — which was driven by Veltman, information that was part of an agreed statement of facts. Yumnah Afzaal, 15, her parents Madiha Salman, 44, and Salman Afzaal, 46, and family matriarch Talat Afzaal, 74, were killed. A nine-year-old boy also injured in the attack survived.

The 22-year-old had pleaded not guilty to murder, attempted murder and associated terror charges in the attack on the Afzaal family on June 6, 2021.

Read more: CBC News (Canada)