As Ottawa police continue to investigate the worst mass killing in the city’s history, CTV News has learned the primary weapon used in the attack was similar to a hunting knife.
A mother, her four young children and a family acquaintance were killed at their family home on Berrigan Drive in Barrhaven late Wednesday night. A 19-year-old international student, who was living with the family, is facing six counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder.
Ottawa police investigative sources tell CTV News at this point they’re trying to determine if one or multiple knives were used in the attack.
On Wednesday, officers responding to a 911 call found the bodies of six people inside the home. The suspect was arrested inside the house without incident.
The victims have been identified as 35-year-old Banbaranayake Gama Walwwe Darshani Dilanthika Ekanyake and her four children – Kelly, Ranaya, Ashwini and Inuka. A family acquaintance, 40-year-old Gamini Amarakoon Amarakoon Mudiyanselage, was also found deceased at the home.
Police say the family were newcomers to Canada from Sri Lanka.
Court documents identify the surviving father as Dhanushka Wickramasinghe, who is continuing to recover in hospital.
The father is in “great shock,” Bhante Suneetha, resident monk at the Hilda Jayewardenaramaya Buddhist Monastery, told The Canadian Press.
Speaking to CTV News Ottawa’s Natalie van Rooy, Suneetha said the eldest Wickramasinghe child, Inuka, was enrolled in classes there.
“Last Sunday was his first class,” Suneetha said. “Very bright and courageous for a little boy. He had a beautiful future.”
Suneetha, who visited the father on Thursday in hospital, said he was attacked while returning home from his evening cleaning job.
“He lost half of his finger. Two fingers damaged, big cut to his face,” Suneetha said. “The suspect didn’t have a place to stay. The father said, ‘You can stay in my basement.'”
Wickramasinghe, Suneetha said, came to Canada as an Algonquin College student. After he got his diploma, he got his work permit and brought his family here.
The father also worked as an Uber Driver in Ottawa, according to the landlord.
The Wickramasinghe family is pictured here in this undated image. The four young children and their mother were killed in their Ottawa home on March 6, 2024 alongside a family friend. The father was seriously injured in the attack. A 19-year-old suspect is in custody and is facing multiple counts of first-degree murder.
The owner of the home where the family lived says he signed a lease with Dhanushka Wickramsinghe last June for the family to live in the home on Berrigan Drive.
Harpreet Chhabra told CTV National News correspondent Judy Trinh that Wickramsinghe was a good tenant, always paid his rent and was taking care of the property.
“He is a very good tentant,” he said. “I’ll say never late on the payments. Housekeeping the properly to the best of my knowledge, the best possible, so I will rate him as 10 out of 10 as a person in the limited interactions I had.”
Chhabra said that he was not aware that a 19-year-old student was living there, nor was he aware of a 40-year-old man living there.
“I don’t even know what the arrangements were between these people who are living in there. Was this permanent or was this person just staying there for night? I don’t even know,” he said. “As a landlord, I should have been informed if this was a sublet or anything.”
Chhabra was at the airport ready to catch a flight when police called him to share the news.
“You can never be prepared for these kinds of stories, so I was shocked. I was motionless. I had no clue why this has happened,” he said. “They (Ottawa police) were very accommodating and understanding the moment that I told them that I’m going away on vacation. They said try to get some stress release and when you come back, you can have a chat.”
Ottawa Police Chief Eric Stubbs says investigators continue to look into what happened inside the home Wednesday night.
“The team has got a plan and they’re going to dig in deeper to a lot of those different relationships,” Stubbs told Newstalk 580 CFRA’s The Morning Rush with Bill Carroll Friday morning.
“We certainly have a fairly good idea of sort of the dynamics of what was going on, but still more work to go.”
As Dhanushka Wickramasinghe continues to recover in hospital, Stubbs says investigators will make sure “we don’t push him” as part of the investigation.
“We manage him as best as we can so he’s comfortable in talking and explaining everything on his time, because, obviously, he’s absorbing a lot of physical and mental injuries and we want to make sure his care and his wellness is number one.”
A memorial continued to grow on Friday afternoon, with dozens of stuffed animals, flowers and candles placed at a Barrhaven park.
“I feel so sad for the tragedy that happened,” said one woman at the memorial. “It’s heartbreaking, as a mother, to see four young children taken away.”
“It’s shocking because I’m a father of four here in this neighbourhood,” said a man at the vigil. “It’s shocking, I can’t believe it.”
A candlelight vigil will be held on Saturday at Palmadeo Park to remember the six people killed in Barrhaven. The vigil will begin at the park at the corner of Palmadeo Drive and Rodeo Drive at 11 a.m.
A moment of silence for the victims was held at Ottawa City Hall before the International Women’s Day event.
“To the family, neighbours and friends, I want to say that all the people of Ottawa are with you, we stand with you,” Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said Friday morning. “Our thoughts and prayers extend to you during this very, very difficult time.”
Stuffed animals, flowers and candles make up part of the memorial at Palmadeo Park in Barrhaven in memory of a mother, her four young children and a family acquaintance killed this week. (Katie Griffin/CTV News Ottawa)
Monsignor Paul Baxter School
Two of the children attended Monsignor Paul Baxter School, a few blocks away from the family’s home. Today, teachers and grief counselling and crisis support services were available to speak with students.
CUPE 2357 President Cynthia Steeves, which represents administration and support staff at the Ottawa Catholic School Board, was in the classroom as teachers spoke with students.
“It’s a very sombre atmosphere for sure and opening up that dialogue with the children,” Steeves tells CTV News Ottawa.
“Their team is going to band together during this senseless tragedy, but they’re doing fairly well over there.”
Steeves says the dialogue between staff and the students is “very simple.”
“They’re young children, you kind of let them guide it,” Steeves said.
Children had some questions and the teacher did their best to answer the questions. It was evident that some parents had that discussion with their children before they came to school.”
Inuka Wickramasinghe was a Grade 2 student at Monsignor Paul Baxter School, and Ashwini Wickramasinghe was in Junior Kindergarten.
Suspect appears in court
The suspect made a brief court appearance on Thursday, and is scheduled to appear in court again next week.
Febrio De-Zoysa, 19, is facing six counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder. He cannot have contact with five people, including the surviving husband and father.
Police say De-Zoysa is a Sri Lankan national who came to Canada to study as an international student. A spokesperson for Algonquin College told CTV News Ottawa he attended classes at the Ottawa college, “It appears that his last semester of attendance was Winter 2023.”
GoFundMe campaign for the victims
A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to raise money to support the families of the victims.
According to the fundraising campaign, the financial support will be coordinated through the Buddhist Congress of Canada on Heron Road.
As of 1 p.m., the campaign had raised more than $34,000.
Donations can also be submitted to the Buddhist Congress of Canada.
With files from The Canadian Press, CTV News national correspondent Judy Trinh, and CTV News Ottawa’s Natalie van Rooy.
