Statement from Chief Eric Stubbs on Berrigan Drive Homicides

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, March 7, 2024  1:58 p.m.

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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.

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CONTACT:

Media Relations Section

Tel: 613-236-1222, ext. 5366