Ottawa mass stabbings: Sri Lankan-origin victims celebrated suspect's birthday just days ago, says report
File photo.
A Sri Lankan family that was knifed to death in Canada's Ottawathrew a birthday party for the alleged suspect just days ago, Canadian media reported. The suspect was identified as 19-year-old Febrio De-Zoysa, who knew the family and had been living in their house. Five people in the family and an acquaintance were killed late Wednesday (Mar 6) in the attack.
Speaking to the Canadian Press, religious leader Bhante Suneetha that the family's father, who was wounded in the mass stabbings in which his wife and four children were killed, was in great shock.
The father told Suneetha that nothing seemed wrong in the lead-up to the murders. “They organised a celebration of his 19th birthday last week," the religious leader added.
The victims and investigation
The victims of the mass stabbings were a 35-year-old woman and her children - a two-month old baby and others aged seven, four and two - as well as a 40-year-old man who was an acquaintance of the family. They were found inside a house in the southwestern suburb of Barrhaven.
Police arrived on the scene following emergency calls shortly before 11 pm local time on Wednesday, the news agency Reuters reported.
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Addressing a press conference, Ottawa police chief Eric Stubbs said, "This was a senseless act of violence perpetrated on purely innocent people."
Following De-Zoysa's arrest, the police said there was no continuing threat to public safety.
A report by the news agency Associated Press said that on Thursday morning, five marked police cars were parked on the street and in driveways near the home, which is a middle unit of a row of brick townhouses.
A terrible tragedy: Canadian PM Trudeau
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the mass stabbing a terrible tragedy. Addressing a press conference, Prime Minister Trudeau said, "Obviously, our first reactions are all ones of shock and horror at this terrible violence."
“We’re expecting that the community reaches out to support family and friends, as Canadians always do. And we expect the police of jurisdiction to be doing the work and keeping us all informed of this terrible tragedy,” he added.
(With inputs from agencies)