OTTAWA, Ontario — A horrifying attack in a suburban Ottawa home has resulted in the deaths of six individuals, including a mother, her four young children, and a family friend.
Nineteen-year-old Febrio De-Zoysa, an international student living with the family, has been charged with six counts of first-degree murder.
Ottawa police Chief Eric Stubbs described the incident as a “senseless act of violence” and revealed that a knife or other sharp object was used in the attack.
De-Zoysa, a Sri Lankan national studying in Canada, also faces one count of attempted murder in connection with the surviving father.
During his court appearance, De-Zoysa remained silent as the justice of the peace ordered him not to contact the surviving father or the witnesses.
The victims have been identified as Darshani Ekanyake and her children: seven-year-old Inuka Wickramasinghe, four-year-old Ashwini, two-year-old Rinyana, and two-and-a-half-month-old Kelly. Family friend Amarakoonmubiayansela Ge Gemini Amarakoon, 40, was also killed. The surviving father, Dhanushka Wickramasinghe, sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
The incident occurred in Barrhaven, a suburb south of Ottawa’s downtown core. Police discovered the victims inside the townhome after receiving emergency calls about a distressed man.
The investigation is ongoing, with the police working to determine the motive behind the attack.
The shocking incident has left the community in disbelief, while Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ontario Premier Doug Ford have expressed their condolences.
As the community comes to terms with the tragedy, support is being offered by the Ottawa Catholic School Board to those who may have known the family.
Despite the unknown motive, the community of Barrhaven and the city of Ottawa are rallying together during this difficult time.