Six people were killed inside a South Ottawa residence late Wednesday night, including a mother and her four children.
According to Eric Stubbs, the Ottawa Police Chief, they received two 911 calls at approximately 10:50 pm on Wednesday.
First responders arrived at the Barrahaven townhouse within minutes and discovered five victims. They have since been identified as 35-year-old Darshani Ekanayake, 7-year-old Inuka, 4-year-old Ashwini, 2-year-old Rinyana, and 2-month-old Kelly.
40-year-old Amarakoon, an acquaintance of the family, was also killed.
Ekanayake’s husband, Dhanushka, was injured in the attack but survived. He is currently receiving medical treatment at the hospital.
The assailant, 19-year-old Febrio De-Zoysa, was arrested 15 kilometers from downtown Ottawa. He has been charged with one count of attempted murder and six counts of first-degree murder.
According to police, he was staying with the family at the time of the killings and had arrived in Canada for school. Claude Brule, the president of Algonquin College later confirmed that De-Zoysa was a student at the college and that he had last attended classes in Winter 2023.
The 19-year-old appeared in court on Thursday afternoon, where he remained quiet, except for stating his name and birthdate when asked. His next court appearance will be on March 14.
The local police said they had not dealt with the family nor the suspect and that they had never gone to the Barrahaven address before the incident.
In an update on Thursday, police chief Stubbs described the murders as ‘a senseless act of violence’ and offered his condolences to the victims’ families. A memorial has also been set up at a nearby park.
The Ottawa Catholic School Board also offered their deepest sympathies to the families and their loved ones, after confirming that the two oldest children were students at Monsignor Paul Baxter School.
The school will be providing crisis support and grief counseling for both staff and students.
Flashing Lights of Emergency Vehicles
One of the residents who live near the scene told media outlets she was watching television when she saw numerous emergency vehicles with their lights on. When she opened the door and looked outside, she saw a man sitting on the driveway, screaming.
The man was later identified as the father of the killed children and the husband of the 36-year-old woman.
Ramesh said it wasn’t until the next morning that she realized a ‘major tragedy’ had happened down the street.
The Murder Weapon Was ‘Knife-Like’
Stubbs initially described the murders as a ‘mass shooting’ but later clarified that a ‘knife-like’ edged weapon was used instead.
The police are currently working on a motive for the homicides and do not believe it was the result of partner violence.
