Ottawa Tragedy: 19-Year-Old Charged with Killing 6 Held in Protective Custody

COLOMBO (News 1st); The 19-year-old charged with killing six people in an Ottawa suburb in Canada last week is being held in protective custody.

Canadian media reported that, Febrio De-Zoysa was arrested March 6th and is charged with six counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder.

De-Zoysa’s matter was adjourned until March 28 to give his lawyer, Ewan Lyttle, time to receive and begin reviewing disclosure from the Crown, a process he suggested would span months.

Canadian Police say De-Zoysa, who came to Canada as an international student, had been living with the victims, who were also newcomers from Sri Lanka.

They included 35-year-old Darshani Ekanayake and her four children, who range in age from two months to seven years old, as well as a family friend.

Her husband and the children’s father, Dhanushka Wickramasinghe, was taken to hospital with injuries to his hands and face.

Lawyer for the suspect, Ewan Lyttle, had told reporters after a brief court appearance that took place by phone.

He said that any potential request for his client to undergo a mental-health assessment would “probably be a few months from now.”

He declined to comment on the suspect’s mental state, saying only he had met with him in person and over video.

The lawyer had said he has been in touch with the young man’s family and that they are “obviously very upset.”

He said they do not reside in Sri Lanka and declined to say where they live.

Police have not publicly suggested any motive behind the alleged murders.

The family had moved to Canada in recent months with three children — Inuka, 7, Ashwini, 4 and Ranaya, 3. Kelly, two-and-a-half months old, was born in Canada.

A friend who had been living with them, 40-year-old Gamini Amarakoon Amarakoon Mudiyanselage, was also killed. He had a wife and two children living in Sri Lanka.