Funeral for Sri Lankan family slain in Ottawa suburb to be held Sunday

OTTAWA — The funeral for the victims of what Ottawa’s mayor has called one of the city’s most shocking incidents of violence will be held this weekend. 

The Buddhist Congress of Canada says a multi-faith service will be held at a convention centre Sunday and that the funeral will be open to the public. 

The city has been grieving the deaths of a family of Sri Lankan nationals found dead inside a home in the Ottawa suburb of Barrhaven last week. 

The victims 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.

Funeral organizers say he has requested privacy to mourn the loss of his family, but is thankful for the outpouring of support. 

A 19-year-old Sri Lankan man has been charged with six counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder.

Police say Febrio De-Zoysa was an international student who had been living with the family at the time of their deaths. 

De-Zoysa’s lawyer, Ewan Lyttle, says his client is being held in protective custody and that his family is “obviously very upset” about the allegations.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 15, 2024. 

The Canadian Press