PRINT FILE: What we know about Ottawa’s deadliest mass murder and the man charged

Article content

A 19-year-old Sri Lankan national is currently lodged at the Innes Road Jail in Ottawa facing six counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder.

Febrio De-Zoysa is accused of killing six people, including four children, and wounding another in last week’s attack in Barrhaven.

Article content

De-Zoysa is expected to appear in court again on March 14.

Here’s what we know so far about the murders, as well as what’s next for the accused.

None of the allegations against De-Zoysa have been proven in court.

Article content

The victims:

• Darshani Dilanthika Ekanayake, 35-year-old wife and mother;

• Inuka, seven-year-old son;

• Ashwini, four-year-old daughter;

• Ranaya, three-year-old daughter;

• Kelly, two-month-old daughter;

• Gamini Amarakoon, 40-year-old family friend.

The survivor:

• Ekanayake’s husband, Dhanushka Wickramasinghe. He was taken to a hospital for treatment of serious injuries.

What we know about the man accused of the murders:

• De-Zoysa had been a student at Algonquin College, but had not attended there since the winter 2023 semester, a university spokesperson confirmed.

• He had been living with the victims on Berrigan Drive in Barrhaven rent-free, said Bhanthe Sumanarathana, a friend of the victims and a resident monk at the Hilda Jayewardenaramaya Buddhist monastery.

• The family had recently helped De-Zoysa celebrate her 19th birthday, Sumanarathana said.

• De-Zoysa came to Canada two years ago, according to her aunt, as reported by Global News.

• She lived with her aunt during her first month in Canada and then met Wickramasinghe at Algonquin College, Global News reported.

Article content

• His behavior had recently changed and he cut off contact with family members, blocking their phone numbers and social media accounts, his aunt told Global News.

• He was known for posting videos of the video game Minecraft on YouTube. His YouTube account has been deleted. A spokesperson for Google, which owns YouTube, said by email: “Following the tragic attack in Ottawa, our Trust and Safety team identified and terminated a YouTube channel associated with the suspect in accordance with our creator liability guidelines. “If a user’s off-platform behavior harms the YouTube community, we can take action.”

Whats Next

• De-Zoysa is expected to appear in court again on March 14.

• A criminal law expert says this case could take two to three years to make its way through the court system. Daphne Gilbert, a criminal law professor at the University of Ottawa, said the defendant will likely undergo extensive psychiatric evaluations to determine whether or not he is competent to stand trial. Additionally, the police investigation will likely be long and complex, she said.

Article content

Chronology of events

Wednesday March 6:

• Wickramasinghe arrives home around 10:30 pm and finds De-Zoysa with a knife, according to Sumanarathana.

• Wickramasinghe then discovers the bodies of his family, according to Sumanarathana, and locks himself in a room before calling 9-1-1.

• Police arrive around 10:52 p.m.

• De-Zoysa was arrested shortly before 11 p.m.

• At 11:17 p.m., the Ottawa Police Service posts on social media that there was “an ongoing police operation in the 300 block of Berrigan Drive” and that the public was asked to avoid the area.

Thursday March 7:

• Around 2:30 a.m., Ottawa Police post on social media: “OPS is on the scene of a homicide in the 300 block of Berrigan Dr., with multiple victims confirmed deceased. One more person was taken to an Ottawa-area hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. An arrest has been made. “There is no continuing threat to public safety.”

• At 6:15 a.m., police say in a news release that the OPS Homicide Unit is investigating the deaths of six people who were found at an address on Berrigan Drive just before 11 p.m. the night before. The victims are identified as two adults and four children. Police say their identities have not been confirmed at this point, calling it “a tragic and complex investigation.”

Article content

• Ottawa Police Chief Eric Stubbs tells CBC Radio the homicide was a “mass shooting,” but later that day he corrects his statement to say it is a “mass murder.”

• Police hold a press conference at 1:30 pm. They identify the victims and say charges have been filed against De-Zoysa.

• At the police press conference, Stubbs tells reporters that police believe a knife or gun was used in the murders.

• De-Zoysa appears briefly in court Thursday afternoon.

Friday March 8:

• Police send a notice correcting the names of three victims and the age of one.

What we still don’t know

• Police say they are still working to determine the suspected killer’s motive.

• CTV News has reported that the police are trTrying to determine if one or several knives were used in the attack.

• CTV News also reported The main weapon used in the attack was similar to a hunting knife.

With files from The Canadian Press

Article content