A student, Febrio De-Zoysa (19), is facing charges for the murder of six individuals, including four children, in a mass killing incident in Ottawa, Canada. This incident has been described by Ottawa Police Chief Eric Stubbs as the most lethal mass killing in Ottawa in over thirty years. Police records show that De-Zoysa, who was living temporarily in the family’s basement, had no previous involvement with law enforcement.
The crime occurred in a townhouse in an Ottawa suburb. Police who responded to emergency 911 calls slightly before midnight on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, discovered the bodies of six individuals.
Among those killed was a Sri Lankan family who had recently immigrated to Canada. The victims included 35-year-old Darshani Dilanthika Ekanayake, mother of four children all younger than seven, including an infant less than three months old, and a 40-year-old man named Amarakoonmubiayansela Ge Gamini Amarakoon, who was living with them. The family’s father, Dhanushka Wickramasinghe (34), was assaulted and stabbed upon entering the house that night. He managed to fight back and discovered his family dead. Although he survived the attack, he was hospitalized with severe injuries.
The suspect, Febrio De-Zoysa, a fellow Sri Lankan and student in Canada, was arrested at the location. De-Zoysa has been charged with six counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder. The motive behind his actions is still unclear and under investigation by the police. Initial reports inaccurately described the incident as a mass shooting, but it was later confirmed that an “edged weapon” was used in the killings.
Bhante Suneetha, a monk from a nearby Buddhist monastery, claimed that the father had stated there were no issues between De Zoysa and the family, who had made a birthday party for him just a week before the murders. However, De Zoysa was reportedly having difficulties at school and exhibiting suicidal tendencies.
Ottawa Police Chief Eric Stubbs commented on the severe impact of the event on Ottawa and the surrounding neighborhood in Barrhaven. Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe concurred, describing it as “one of the most shocking incidents of violence in our city’s history.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his shock and horror at the brutal act, emphasizing the need for community support for the relatives and friends of the victims. Trudeau also underscored the role of the police in conducting investigations and keeping the public informed.
The news of the mass killings deeply distressed Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who expressed his condolences to the families and friends of the victims and the wider Ottawa community on social media.
The incident has sent shockwaves across Canada, a country that seldom experiences such mass casualty events, unlike its neighboring country, the United States. In Ottawa, a city of one million residents, there were only 14 homicides in 2023, and just 15 in the year before.
De-Zoysa briefly appeared in an Ottawa court via Zoom on Thursday, just before 4 p.m., providing his name and date of birth to the justice of the peace. De-Zoysa has been ordered to remain in detention until next week, providing him time to secure legal representation.
As the investigation continues, Police Chief Stubbs stressed the importance of support for those affected by this tragic event, emphasizing the need for community healing in the wake of such a significant loss.
