Febrio De-Zoysa is an accused killer from Canada who has been charged with the murders of six people including four children
According to police reports Febrio De-Zoysa was living with the Sri Lanka family in Ottawa Canada. On the day of the murder Febrio De-Zoysa would attack the entire family killing Darshani Dilanthika Ekanayake and her four children Kelly, who was two months old; Rinyana, 2; and Ashwini, 4 — and son Inuka, 7.
Another person living at the home, Gamini Amarakoon, would also be killed in the mass stabbing. The father of the children was injured during the attack
Police are still trying to figure out what set off Febrio De-Zoysa. Apparently the family threw the alleged killer a birthday party just days before the mass stabbing
Febrio De-Zoysa, 19, is now facing six first-degree murder charges and one count of attempted murder.
Febrio De-Zoysa News
A family slain in a stabbing rampage at an Ottawa home late Wednesday threw a birthday party for the alleged suspect just days ago, says a religious leader who knew them.
The father who survived the attack in which his wife and four children were killed was in “great shock” on Thursday, said Bhante Suneetha.
The resident monk at Hilda Jayewardenaramaya Buddhist Monastery, which the family attended, said he visited his friend at the hospital.
The father told Suneetha that nothing seemed “wrong” in the lead-up to the attack in which a student living with the family is accused, the monk said.
“They (even) helped him to celebrate,” he told The Canadian Press in an interview. “They organized a celebration of his 19th birthday last week, a few days ago.”
Police were called to the scene of a suburban home in the Barrhaven neighbourhood Wednesday night, where they discovered the bodies of a mother, her four young children and a family friend in the aftermath of a vicious attack.
The dead include Darshani Ekanyake, 35, along with her seven-year-old son, Inuka Wickramasinghe, and her three daughters: Ashwini, 4; two-year-old Rinyana; and Kelly, two-and-a-half months. A family friend, Amarakoonmubiayansela Ge Gemini Amarakoon, was also killed.
The father, identified in court documents as Dhanushka Wickramasinghe, suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries.
Febrio De-Zoysa, a 19-year-old international student who was staying with the family, has been charged with six counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder.
The victims and suspect are all Sri Lankan nationals, according to police. The baby was born in Canada.
The father told Suneetha that there had been no issues between the family and De-Zoysa before the attack.
De-Zoysa had moved into their basement a month or two ago as he pursued his studies in Ottawa. The father had even met the suspect’s parents in Sri Lanka, Suneetha recounted.
But it seemed not all was well with De-Zoysa.
He was having problems at school and recently dropped out, Suneetha said the father told him. He was also having thoughts of suicide.
A spokesperson for Algonquin College confirmed that De-Zoysa had been a student there and his last semester of attendance had been in winter 2023.
The college’s president, Claude Brule, said in a statement that the college is mourning “along with our community after learning the devastating news.”
The resident monk said that as the father tells it, he came home from a cleaning job late Wednesday night when the alleged attack occurred.
The father resisted and asked if his family had been hurt.
“The murderer said, ‘No, I didn’t do anything (to) them.’ And he released him and went to the kids, and they’re gone.”
Suneetha said the father had part of two fingers cut off, and one has been repaired. He also suffered a slash across his face between his nose and his eye and stab wounds to the chest and back.
Ottawa police Chief Eric Stubbs said on Thursday afternoon that police responded to calls that a man – whom he later identified as the father – was yelling for help outside the house.
He was taken to hospital in stable condition, police said.
The monk said he got to know the family because they had been attending his monastery regularly since arriving in Canada after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Their seven-year-old son had even begun religious classes there just last week.
Suneetha said the family came to Canada with so many “dreams and plans.”
He knew them as kind and helpful people who were enthusiastic participants at community events.
While he didn’t know De-Zoysa, Suneetha said he believes many people have not been faring well since the pandemic, and international students in particular have been suffering.
He said the monestary recently gathered a group of Sri Lankan students to offer spiritual support.
“They are in a great stress and anxiety and (they are) homesick when they come,” he said. “We have to address that.”
Suneetha said he’s been getting calls from members of his community from across the country, expressing their shock and sadness.
“This is the first time that we (had) this kind of incident in our community,” he said.
Police said Thursday they were working to understand what motivated the killings.
“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,” Stubbs said.
“I want to emphasize this was a senseless act of violence perpetrated on purely innocent people. I know our whole community is shocked in mourning this event.”
De-Zoysa appeared in court briefly on Thursday and was ordered not to speak with the surviving father and a handful of other witnesses. The matter was adjourned until next week so he can get a lawyer.
If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, support is available 24/7 by calling or texting 988, Canada’s national suicide prevention helpline.
Febrio De-Zoysa Other News
Barrhaven residents and members of Ottawa’s Sri Lankan community say they are struggling to process the horrific mass killing of four young children, their mother and a family acquaintance.
Their bodies were found in their home in Barrhaven, about 15 kilometres south of Ottawa’s downtown core, on Wednesday night.
Only the children’s father survived. He was injured in the attack with an edged weapon and was taken to hospital.
“We are all shocked, no doubt about that,” said Bhante Suneetha, who met the family at a local Buddhist monastery, and described them as sweet and kind.
“In my life, I haven’t heard of such a tragic moment in our community.”
Into the night, dozens of residents moved by what happened streamed silently into a dark tree-lined park two blocks away from the townhouse.
They lit candles and dropped off flowers and stuffed animals at a makeshift memorial.
On Thursday, police said the family were newcomers to Canada from Sri Lanka.
Dhanushka Wickramasinghe is the injured father.
His wife, 35-year-old Darshani Dilanthika Ekanayake, was killed along with the couple’s four young children — daughters Kelly, who was two months old; Rinyana, 2; and Ashwini, 4 — and son Inuka, 7.
Accused was living with family
The body of another man, 40-year-old Gamini Amarakoon, was also found at the scene. Both he and the accused were living with the family, police said.
Febrio De-Zoysa, 19, is now facing six first-degree murder charges and one count of attempted murder.
He was arrested at the home.
Nixsala Antony, who attended the informal memorial at the park near the crime scene, is from Sri Lanka but doesn’t know the family. She said she was “startled” when she heard the news and still feels discomfort.
“They probably had a lot of hopes and dreams,” Antony said. “It’s really sad.”
Family described as ‘kind,’ ‘innocent’
Suneetha, a resident monk and director of the Hilda Jayewardenaramaya Buddhist Monastery on Heron Road, said the family came to his temple for events and helped out.
“They are innocent and also very helpful people. It doesn’t matter [who would ask] for help from them.”
He visited the father, Dhanushka, at the hospital on Thursday morning. Part of one of Dhanushka’s fingers was cut off and another finger was repaired with surgery, Suneetha said. He also has cuts on his face, chest and back.
“I cannot say he’s doing well, but he’s a little bit stronger than we thought,” Suneetha said.
“Mentally, he’s in great shock.”
Dhanushka’s family had only been in Canada for about a year, according to Suneetha. Dhanushka arrived first in 2020 after completing his education and getting a work permit.
Last year, Suneetha said, Ekanayake and their three children joined him. She was pregnant.
A representative of Uber confirmed Dhanushka was a driver for them. Suneetha said Dhanushka had also opened a cleaning business.
Hilal Ahmed, an accountant, said he was contacted by Dhanushka last month for bookkeeping services.
Ahmed found Dhanushka to be very polite and accommodating. He called the situation tragic.
De-Zoysa came to Canada from Sri Lanka as an international student, police said.
On Thursday evening, Algonquin College president Claude Brulé confirmed De-Zoysa had been a student there.
The teen’s last semester of attendance was the winter of 2023, Brulé’s statement said.
Ottawa police chief Eric Stubbs said Thursday that an “edged weapon” was used in the homicides.
De-Zoysa made his first court appearance Thursday afternoon.
He’s due back in court on March 14.
Vigil planned for Saturday morning
“Little kids — they didn’t do anything for this,” said Shanti Ramesh, who lives across the street from the townhouse where the killings happened.
“They come into the world to give something back and this happens? It’s horrible.”
Hilda Jayewardenaramaya Buddhist Monastery said it’s raising donations for the victims’ families.
A candlelight vigil is scheduled Saturday at 11 a.m. in Palmadeo Park, the same park where Thursday’s makeshift memorial was set up.
Funerals will be planned at a later date.
“It will take time for us to digest all this,” Ramesh said.
“It will be there forever, actually.”
