Ottawa residents are still reeling after stabbings that killed a mother, her four young children and a family friend Wednesday evening.
On Thursday evening, neighbors and community members gathered in a small park for a vigil to honor the victims.
They brought flowers, teddy bears and lit candles, all the while wondering what could have driven someone to kill four children, including a baby.
Febrio De-Zoysa, a 19-year-old international student, faces six counts of first-degree murder. He is the only suspect in the case, police said Thursday.
Darshani Ekanyake, 35, was killed on Wednesday evening along with her seven-year-old son, Inuka Wickramasinghe, and three daughters: Ashwini, four; Rinyana, two years old; and Kelly, two and a half months old, who was born in Canada.
Also killed was Amarakoonmubiayansela Ge Gemini Amarakoon, 40, who police described as a family friend. The father of the family survived and remains hospitalized with serious injuries, but his life is not in danger.
Those gathered at the vigil near the house in the Barrhaven neighborhood where the tragedy occurred were in shock and wondering what could have happened to cause a family to be decimated like this.
Therika Ekanayake, also from Sri Lanka, said she showed up at the vigil to pay respects to the family. Ekanayake, with whom she is not related and whom she did not know.
Roshan Fernando assured that the Sri Lankan community is peaceful. “It’s a big shock for everyone,” he said.
“I hope justice is served for the family. »
Ruth Jacobs, who lives nearby and is a pastor, came to see if she could bring comfort to her neighbors. “I really feel very sad,” she said. I wonder who could do this to children. »
Bhante Suneetha, a resident monk at the Hilda Jayewardenaramaya Buddhist Monastery, said Thursday that he knew the family well and had visited the father in hospital.
The father, identified in court documents as Dhanushka Wickramasinghe, told Mr Suneetha that he returned home from work on Wednesday evening and was attacked as he entered the house.
“He is in shock, it’s a big shock,” he said.