[Source: Reuters]

A 22-year-old self-confessed Canadian white nationalist who deliberately ran over and killed four members of a Muslim family in his truck in 2021 was found guilty of first degree murder.

The killings shocked Canada, a country that encourages mass immigration and takes pride in its multiculturalism.

The jury took around six hours to convict Nathaniel Veltman, who attacked the family in the Ontario town of London. He faces life imprisonment with no chance of parole for 25 years.

Prosecutors argued the attack was an act of terrorism, noting Veltman had written a manifesto entitled “A White Awakening” in which he outlined hatred of Islam and opposition to mass immigration and multiculturalism.

Five members of the Afzaal family, originally from Pakistan, were out for an evening walk in June 2021 when Veltman ran over them with his truck on the sidewalk.

The victims were Salman Afzaal, 46, his wife Madiha Salman, 44, their 15-year-old daughter Yumnah, and Afzaal’s 74-year-old mother Talat.

The couple’s nine-year-old son suffered serious injuries. Veltman, who shortly after the assault admitted “I did it. I killed those people,” was also found guilty of one charge of attempted murder.

“Today’s verdict is a monumental step in the fight against hate and Islamophobia. It sets a precedent against white nationalist terrorism,” said Abdul Fattah Twakkal, an imam at the London Muslim Mosque.