The neighbours in Barrhaven South in the Canadian Capital Ottawa have adorned flowers and stuffed toys outside the home where a 19-year old international student from Sri Lanka had killed a mother, her four children and a family acquaintance. The family’s father escaped with injuries and is in hospital in a stable condition.
The community in Barrhaven held a vigil yesterday evening at a park not far from where the family lived to honour and remember them. The brazen murders had shocked Ottawa and the rest of Canada, where mass murders are rare.
The assailant attempted to murder Dhanushka Wickramasinghe, the family’s father, who was returning home from work that evening, unaware of the fate his wife, children, and friend had suffered at the hands of suspect Febrio De Zoysa while he was away from home on that bloody Wednesday. Dhanushka had migrated to Canada in 2021 while the other members of the family came there only around one year ago. None of them had obtained Canadian citizenship yet.
Suspect Febrio De Zoysa
The victims were Bandaranayakagama Walawwe Darashani Dilanthika Ekanayake (35), and her four young children, seven-year-old Inuka Wickramasinghe, four-year-old Ashwini Wickramasinghe, two-year-old Rinyana Wickramasinghe and two and half months old Kelly Wickramasinghe. The sixth victim was 40-year-old Amarakoon Mudiayanselage Gamini Amarakoon, a friend of the family.
The weapon used in the gruesome killings has been identified as a hunting knife.
Dhanushka Wickramasinghe, the father and husband, did not anticipate that Febrio, the student from his country who he had allowed to stay with them in their home, would cause harm to his family. In fact, it was only a few days ago that the Wickramasinghe family celebrated Febrio’s 19th birthday.
Febrio was waiting for his next victim when he arrived, wielding the same hunting knife that he had used to murder his wife and children.
Dhanushka has reportedly managed to subdue Febrio’s knife attack. During the struggle Dhanushka suffered a cut over his eye and slashed fingers.
The middle finger in one of his hands was cut off. Dhanushka ran out of the house to the road calling for help ”. He yelled to the neighbours, “call one-one-nine, call one-one—nine..” Dhanushka suffered serious injuries, but not life-threatening ones. He is currently recovering in a hospital.
The Canadian Police responded to an emergency call placed at about 10.52 pm (3:52 GMT) on Wednesday from the Barrhaven neightbourhood. When they arrived, they quickly identified the suspect, Febrio De Zoysa, who allegedly carried out the horrific act. The police said he was arrested without incident. De Zoysa is now charged with six counts of first degree murder and one count of attempted murder. Canada does not have the death penalty.
Ven. Bhante Sunitha Thera, a residential bhikkhu at Hilda Jayawardhanaramaya, a local Buddhist Temple in Ottawa, who was acquainted with the Wickramasinghe’s family , said that the surviving father had a surgery in his hand on Thursday at the hospital.
Suspicious behaviour
The Ven. Thera said Wickramasinghe family regularly visited the Hilda Jayawardenaramaya temple. “When I went to see Wickremesinghe at the hospital on Thursday , he told me that he did not notice any strange or suspicious behaviour from Febrio previously. I think Wickremasingha is in shock.” he said.
The Ven. Thera said that Wickramasinghe had met Febrio’s parents in Sri Lanka. Febrio came to live in the ground floor of the residence of Wickramasinghe about two months ago. Febrio apparently had many problems with his studies and college life that he had left his educational institution.
The Algonquin College in Ottawa has confirmed that de Zoysa was a student of their college and that his final term came in the winter of 2023, but he had since dropped out.
Canadian Police are investigating the motive for the murder amid speculation that the accused was suffering from severe depression. Febrio Zoysa had to deal with his studies while having to bear up with a cleaning job. He had to study after work, sources said.
But why he killed an innocent woman, man and four children are yet to be determined by the Ottawa Police. When Febrio was brought before Courts he only gave his name, address and date of birth and kept quiet. He has been ordered not to contact five people, which includes Dhanushka.
Febrio De Zoysa had come to Canada about two years ago to study at the Algonquin College in Ottawa. He had been living with his aunt Anusha for a short period. Wickremasingha had invited fellow Sri Lankan Zoysa to move back with him to Barrhaven about two months ago when he moved in with his wife, four children and a family acquaintance.
Aunt
Soyza’s aunt Anusha has expressed shock about the incident. She also told the media that the accused has cut them out completely from their life about a year ago and that they had not had any communication with Febrio since.
According to former president of the Sri Lanka Canada Association in Ottawa, Naradha Kodituwakku, the Wickramasinghe family were newcomers to Canada.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed profound shock and horror at the incident, denouncing it as “terrible violence.” Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe echoed these sentiments, emphasising the impact on the city’s Sri Lankan community, the deceased children’s classmates, and those close to the family. Sutcliffe described the event as “one of the most shocking incidents of violence in Ottawa’s history”.
The victims, had embarked on a journey to Barrhaven, hoping for a better life. The Canadian Police said that this was the first incident of such devastating nature, including children, in Ottawa in over three decades.
Ottawa Mayor Sutcliffe said, “The Ottawa community can’t understand why these murders were committed. The city is in shock and disbelief. It is heartbreaking and the community is disturbed by this event. The people have a lot of questions about why this has happened. The police investigations will hopefully give us answers over time.”
“The number of homicides in the last year in Ottawa is just 13. So it is hard for the community in Ottawa to think that the six people have been killed on the same day in Ottawa,” said Sutcliffe.
Troubling
Sutcliffe said that it was particularly troubling for him as a parent to hear the loss of four children at very young ages, from two and a half months to seven years old.
“It is very difficult to think about and very difficult to process,” he said.
Ottawa Police Chief Eric Stub labelled the incident as a “senseless act of violence perpetrated on purely innocent people.” He expressed condolences to the loved ones and acknowledged the shock and mourning resonating throughout the entire community.
Images taken at the scene show blood smeared over the front door to the property, as forensic teams and police officers investigate. ‘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,’ Ottawa Deputy Police Chief Trish Ferguson said during Thursday’s press conference. “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 the Court,” she said.
Foreign Ministry offers support to family members
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been informed by the Sri Lankan High Commission in Ottawa of the tragic deaths of six Sri Lankans, including a mother, four children, and a family acquaintance, in a residence in Barrhaven, Ottawa on March 7, 2024.
The husband and father of the victims were found injured at the scene, and subsequently, he was admitted to the hospital, where he is currently undergoing treatment. The law enforcement authority has arrested a 19-year-old Sri Lankan in connection with the homicide, and he is currently in Police custody.
The High Commission officials have visited the surviving father and husband of the victims at the hospital. The Ministry is in communication with the family members in Sri Lanka and is facilitating their requests with the relevant Canadian authorities through the Sri Lankan High Commission while respecting their privacy.
A vigil in memory of the victims has been arranged at the crime scene, and the City Councilor has scheduled a special vigil on Saturday, March 9, 2024. The funeral rites will be conducted according to the wishes of the victims’ families in due course following the release of the human remains after an autopsy. The Consular Affairs Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is working closely with the High Commission in Ottawa to undertake all measures to assist the families of the victims in fulfilling formalities.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs extends sincere condolences to the bereaved family members in this time of sorrow.
In a statement published on Facebook, the General Consulate of Sri Lanka in Toronto expressed its condolences to the family and friends of the victims.
It also alerted parents of those who are studying abroad from Sri Lanka “to pay more attention to their children during their transition and integration” into a foreign country like Canada.
Meanwhile, a GoFundMe campaign launched for Wickramasingha by the Buddhist Congress of Canada (BCC) has raised more than C$ 53,000 (US$ 39,300) as of yesterday afternoon.
