Update – Canadian police are treating the deaths of four children and two adults at a house in Ottawa as homicides. Officers were responding to an emergency call placed at approximately 22:52 local time (03:52 GMT) on Wednesday when they found the six people. Ottawa police chief Eric Stubbs has described the incident as a “mass Killing”. Police said one male suspect has been arrested.
Sri Lanka’s High Commission in Ottawa told the BBC on Thursday that the victims were a family of Sri Lankan nationals.
The commission did not provide further details, referring questions to police.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, March 7, 2024 1:58 p.m.
This afternoon we will be providing an update on a tragic act of violence in Barrhaven that has left six people deceased including four young children as well as one injured male.
Before I continue, I want to acknowledge that this is a very difficult, complex and active investigation.
Some of the details we will share today are disturbing.
Here is what we can tell you:
At about 10:52 p.m. yesterday the Ottawa Police Service received two 911 calls from the Berrigan Dr. area reporting a suspicious incident where a man was yelling for help asking people to call 911.
Our team was immediately dispatched and the first officer arrived on scene minutes later.
As multiple units began to arrive, officers identified a suspect who was quickly arrested without incident. Paramedics were also called and began to arrive.
Officers entered the home to check on the safety of those inside and that is where they began to discover the six victims, the youngest of which is less than three months old.
The family are newcomers to Canada and are originally from Sri Lanka.
We have been working to advise the families of the deceased, many of whom are overseas.
A man, who is the father and husband of the victims was found at scene and was injured. He was taken to hospital where he remains in serious but stable condition.
The deceased are:
35 year old Darshani Banbaranayake Gama Walwwe Darshani Dilanthika Ekanyake.
She is the mother of the children.
Their seven year old son Inuka Wickramasinghe
Their four year old daughter Ashwini Wickramasinghe
Their two year old daughter Rinyana Wickramasinghe
And their two and a half month old daughter Kelly Wickramasinghe
Also, found deceased is 40 year old Ge Gamini Amarakoon who is an acquaintance of the family who has been living at the home. He recently arrived in Canada.
The investigation has found that an edged weapon was used to cause the deaths and injuries. To be clear, this was a mass killing not a mass shooting.
We have arrested and charged a 19 year old male with six counts of first degree murder and one count of attempted murder. The accused is a Sri Lankan national who is believed to have been in Canada as a student.
He will appear in court later today after which, his name can be released.
We know there are a lot of questions about why this tragedy occurred. This is the focus of our homicide unit as they diligently investigate this tragic crime.
Our investigators and Forensic teams are working very hard to determine all of the facts and ensure justice is done. But that also means we must maintain the integrity of the investigation for court.
I want to emphasize that this was a senseless act of violence perpetrated on purely innocent people.
I know our whole community is shocked and mourning this event.
I want to offer my condolences to the loved ones of all of the victims for this unimaginable loss.
We are offering supports and we know the community is mobilizing.
We have reached out to community leaders, their temple and the High Commission and will ensure that we maintain that communication to assist their community
Of note, two of the children attended local schools. We have also reached out to the school board
We ask that anyone needing support, please reach out to the Distress Centre, available 24/7 at 613-238-3311.
This will undoubtedly weigh on the hearts of everyone for a very long time. A vigil has been established at the Palmadeo Park at the corner of Palmadeo Dr and Rodeo Dr., in memory of the victims. We ask that the public avoid the area of the crime scene as police continue to investigate.
I am also mindful of the impact this investigation can have on our members and other emergency responders.
Many officers have families of their own and these types of incidents can be especially troubling for all of us.
We are also offering supports and critical incident debriefs to our frontline responders, investigators, communications centre members and all other members involved.
We are available to take some questions.
In a statement early on Thursday morning, the Ottawa Police Service called the investigation into the deaths “tragic and complex”.
Officials have also said that at least one person had been taken to hospital in the Ottawa area with serious but not life-threatening injuries.
They added that there was no ongoing threat to public safety.
Chief Stubbs called the incident a “real tragedy” that would continue to have a “significant” impact on the whole city.
“Obviously, it’s a horrific scene,” he said during an early morning interview with CTV News.
He added that police did not believe it to be a domestic or intimate partner related incident.
“I’m sure the impact on the community is great,” he added, while emphasising that residents and community members should continue to stay away from the area.
In a separate interview with CBC News on Thursday, he referred to the incident as a “mass shooting”.
Local news reports that there were police cars parked outside the house in the Barrhaven neighbourhood.
In Toronto on Thursday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed “shock and horror” at the incident, which he called a “terrible violence”.
Ottawa’s mayor called the multiple homicide event “one of the most shocking incidents of violence in our city’s history”.
“We are proud to live in a safe community but this news is distressing to all Ottawa residents,” Mark Sutcliffe wrote in a post on X, previously known as Twitter.
“Thank you to our emergency responders who are investigating and supporting those who are affected by this terrible event,” he added.
A news conference about the investigation, which has been passed to the Ottawa Police Homicide Unit, will be held on Thursday afternoon.
