Barrhaven’s mass killing suspect appears in court Thursday, here’s what’s new

The suspect accused of murdering six people at a home in Barrhaven made another brief court appearance Thursday afternoon.

Febrio De-Zoysa, 19, is charged with six counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder.

De-Zoysa will next appear in court by video on April 25 to set dates for a preliminary inquiry. 

This was De-Zoysa’s forth court appearance. On March 28 he made a brief court appearance by phone where he could only be heard stating his name, birthday and confirming his next court appearance. At the time, his lawyer Ewan Lyttle, said he had the opportunity to get “quite a bit of disclosure.”

On March 6, a mother, her four children and a family acquaintance were killed inside a two-storey townhouse on Berrigan Drive in the Ottawa suburb of Barrhaven.

The victims, all Sri Lankan nationals who were new to Canada, have been identified as 35-year-old Banbaranayake Gama Walwwe Darshani Dilanthika Ekanyake and her four children: Seven-year-old Inuka Wickramasinghe, Four-year-old Ashwini Wickramasinghe, Three-year-old Ranaya Wickramasinghe and two-month-old Kelly Wickramasinghe.

A sixth man, 40-year-old Gamini Amarakoon Amarakoon Mudiyanselage, was also found deceased at the home.

The husband and father, Dhanushka Wickramasinghe, was taken to hospital in serious condition. He has since been released and is planning on staying in Canada.

With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Leah Larocque and Katie Griffin

Source

Posted in CTV