A city bus rammed into a daycare centre north of Montreal, Quebec, killing two children and injuring six, authorities said.
The driver was arrested and faces nine charges, including first-degree murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault and assault causing bodily harm.
A neighbour who ran to the centre in Laval, Montreal's largest suburb, after the accident on Wednesday said she saw children screaming and crying, and watched a mother collapse.
Other panicked parents were diverted to a nearby elementary school as police and emergency vehicles swarmed the area.
Immediately after the bus ploughed into the building, the driver, Pierre Ny St-Amand, stepped out of the vehicle, ripped his clothes off and started screaming, another neighbour said.
“He was just yelling; there were no words coming out of his mouth,” Hamdi Benchaabane said. The driver, he said, “was in a different world”.
Mr St-Amand is facing nine charges, including first-degree murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault and assault causing bodily harm.
He appeared in court via video late on Wednesday from a hospital room and will remain detained.
A senior Canadian government official said the crash was not a terrorist act and did not pose a threat to national security.
The driver was from Laval and had worked for public transit system Societe de transport de Laval for 10 years.
He had no criminal history and a clean work record, police officials and Laval Mayor Stephane Boyer said at two separate news conferences.
“As of now, we don’t know the motive for the crime,” police representative Erika Landry said. She did not say why police determined the crash to be a homicide.
Laval Police Chief Pierre Brochet said authorities are interviewing the driver.
“There is a theory that it was an intentional act, but that remains to be confirmed by the investigation,” Mr Boyer, Laval’s mayor, said.
The dead children were both four years old, identified in the documents only by their initials.
Six children were admitted to hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening, Mr Brochet said.
The daycare centre is located at the end of a driveway off a cul-de-sac. There is a bus stop on the cul-de-sac, but the driver would have had to veer off the road and head down the long driveway to hit the building.
“There were no signs of skid marks ... He went directly into the daycare,” said another witness, Mario Sirois.
Mr Sirois’s wife, Ginette Lamoureux, the neighbour who ran into the daycare centre shortly after the crash, said Mr St-Amand was hysterical.
“His eyes were like popping out,” she said.
Four parents had to strike the driver in order to subdue him, before police cuffed him.
Mr Brochet said officers at the scene were crying.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his office was “following the situation closely.”
The Canadian leader said on Twitter that he was in touch with the Mr Boyer to offer assistance.
Members of Parliament observed a moment of silence in Ottawa.
The Premiere of Quebec, Francois Legault, ordered the flags at Quebec's National Assembly to be flown at half staff in honour of the young victims.
“There is nothing more cruel than attacking our children,” he said on Twitter. “I keep thinking of the families and loved ones of the children who died, as well as those injured.”
Mr Legault is expect to visit the daycare later on Thursday.
Health and social services in Laval have encouraged the public to seek help if they feel overcome by “emotions” triggered from the attack.
“It is normal to experience many emotions when faced with this situation.,” the agency said on Twitter.
“Anyone who needs psychosocial help can also dial 811, option 2; they will be listened to and directed to the right resources.”
Wearing a hospital gown and in a bed, Mr St-Amand was alert but unresponsive during his video appearance as the judge and his lawyer tried to get him to speak.
He only nodded his head a few times when asked by his lawyer Julien Hudon if he understood he was appearing in a courtroom.
The case returns to court on February 17.
Neighbours described the suspect as a quiet, pleasant father of two young girls.
One man, Thanh-Ry Tran, said his family got together with Mr St-Amand's family a few times a year, and their wives would sometimes help each other in picking up or dropping off children.
He said Mr St-Amand had never shown signs of distress.
Another neighbour Nader Abou-Said said he would exchange pleasant greetings with Mr St-Amand, and would often see him playing with his daughters in the backyard.
“How can you go out and play with your kids and then go kill kids?” he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
