Nine people died and 16 were injured after a white van struck a number of pedestrians on Yonge Street between Finch and Sheppard Avenues shortly before 1:30p.m.

Police arrested the driver of the van near Yonge-Sheppard.   

While Toronto police have said they did not yet know the cause or any motive, witnesses say it was clearly deliberate.    

American law enforcement sources agree and have identified the suspect as 25-year-old Alek Minassian and say he was known to Toronto police, who did not release his name.  

Meanwhile, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale says it’s too soon to say if it was a case of international terrorism and that the government had not raised its terrorism alert.