OTTAWA — Dhanushka Wickramasinghe thought his days of residing alone in Ottawa have been behind him.
His dwelling within the suburb of Barrhaven could be quiet when he bought again from work a bit shy of 11 p.m., however the pleased tumult of a home full of youngsters would absolutely resume within the morning.
It wasn’t at all times this manner: Wickramasinghe had spent a number of lonely years alone in Canada, working to ascertain himself, his household nonetheless again dwelling in Sri Lanka.
Final summer season got here the pleased reunion along with his spouse Darshani Ekanyake, a instructor, and their three younger youngsters. Months later, extra pleasure — a child woman named Kelly.
However on Wednesday, a waking nightmare was unfolding on the opposite facet of Wickramasinghe’s entrance door.
“He’s in shock, nice shock,” mentioned Bhante Suneetha, a resident monk on the household’s native temple who would later study the small print at Wickramasinghe’s hospital bedside.
As he wrestled along with his assailant, Wickramasinghe felt the sting of a knife or different edged weapon — police would later name it a “knife-like object” — slashing throughout his face.
He was stabbed within the chest and within the again. At the very least one in every of his fingers was lopped off. Blood was in all places.
Inside, his total household was already useless.
“That assassin hit him and you recognize, stab him,” Suneetha mentioned. “However the father tried to handle him and maintain him.”
Wickramasinghe demanded to know from his attacker if his household had been harm. The reply of “no” was a lie. Additionally mendacity useless was Gamini Amarakoon Mudiyanselage a household buddy.
Wickramasinghe ran again exterior — screaming, bleeding, inconsolable. Neighbours summoned the police, who arrived minutes later and subdued the attacker.
The youngsters have been recognized as a seven-year-old son, Inuka Wickramasinghe, and three daughters: Ashwini, 4; Ranyana, 3; and Kelly, two-and-a-half months.
Febrio De-Zoysa, a 19-year-old worldwide scholar who was staying with the household, now faces six counts of first-degree homicide and one rely of tried homicide.
De-Zoysa, additionally a Sri Lankan nationwide, had moved into the household’s basement in current months. Earlier this month, all of them celebrated his birthday collectively.
Wickramasinghe had even met the suspect’s dad and mom in Sri Lanka, Suneetha recounted.
However all was not effectively with De-Zoysa, who had dropped out of college and was additionally having ideas of suicide, Suneetha mentioned.
A spokesperson for Algonquin School confirmed that De-Zoysa had been a scholar there, final attending within the winter 2023 semester.
In an interview with International Information, the suspect’s aunt, Anusha, mentioned the household had been “so good to him.”
“I’m nonetheless shaking,” she mentioned. “They have been such an exquisite household.”
De-Zoysa arrived in Canada two years in the past, she advised International. He lived along with his aunt throughout his first month within the nation, then later met Wickramasinghe at Algonquin.
Then all of the sudden, he appeared to interrupt off all contact along with his relations, blocking their cellphone numbers and social media accounts, she mentioned.
The owner of the Ottawa townhouse the place the household lived mentioned he had no thought anybody aside from the couple and their children have been residing on the dwelling.
Harpreet Chhabra was checking his luggage on the airport Thursday morning, en path to a household trip in Mexico, when police known as with the information.
“This will’t be true,” he thought to himself. “A younger household, six individuals murdered on my property … my coronary heart goes out to them.”
Within the aftermath of the assault, Ottawa’s Sri Lankan neighborhood has rallied behind Wickramasinghe, described by many as a form and useful man.
His brother and father will quickly arrive from Sri Lanka to assist in his emotional restoration — a harrowing street made smoother by the outpouring of public help.
De-Zoysa is scheduled to be again in court docket on March 13.
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed March 10, 2024.
Nojoud Al Mallees, The Canadian Press
