A family killed in stabbings at an Ottawa home Wednesday night had hosted a birthday party for the alleged suspect just days ago, according to a religious leader who knew them.
The father who survived the attacks in which his wife and four children were killed was “greatly shocked” on Thursday, according to Bhante Suneetha, a monk at the Hilda Jayewardenaramaya Buddhist Monastery, who visited his friend in hospital.
The father told the monk that nothing seemed wrong before the attack in which a student living with the family is accused.
“They (even) helped him celebrate,” he told The Canadian Press in interview.
“They had a celebration of his 19e birthday last week, a few days ago. »
Febrio De-Zoysa, an international student who resided with the family, was charged with six counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder.
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, identified in court documents as Dhanushka Wickramasinghe, suffered serious but non-life threatening injuries.
The victims and the suspect are all Sri Lankan nationals, according to police. The baby was born in Canada.
Problems at school
The father told Mr Suneetha that there had been no problems between the family and De-Zoysa before the attack.
De-Zoysa had moved into their basement a month or two ago while he continued his studies in Ottawa. The father had even met the suspect’s parents in Sri Lanka, Mr. Suneetha said.
But it seemed like all was not well for De-Zoysa.
He had problems at school and recently dropped out, according to what the father related to Mr. Suneetha. He also had suicidal thoughts.
An Algonquin College spokesperson confirmed that De-Zoysa had been a student there and that his last semester of attendance was in winter 2023.
The college’s president, Claude Brulé, said in a statement that the college was in mourning “with our community after learning this devastating news.”
The father had returned from work late Wednesday evening when the alleged attack occurred, according to Mr. Suneetha.
The father resisted and asked if his family had been hurt. He then allegedly replied that he had done nothing to them.
According to his friend, the father had two fingers cut off, and he was also injured in the face, chest and back.
Dreams and projects
The monk said he got to know the family because they had regularly attended his monastery since arriving in Canada after the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Mr. Suneetha said the family came to Canada with so many “dreams and plans.”
He knew them as kind, helpful people who enthusiastically participated in community events.
Although he did not know the suspect, Mr Suneetha stressed that many people had not been doing well since the pandemic, and international students in particular were suffering.
“They are very stressed and anxious and homesick when they arrive,” he said. We have to solve this problem. »
De-Zoysa appeared in court briefly Thursday and was ordered not to speak with the surviving father and a handful of other witnesses. The case was adjourned until next week so that he could benefit from the services of a lawyer.