A 20-year-old Sri Lankan student, Febrio De-Zoysa, has been sentenced to life in prison for the brutal killing of six people in Ottawa, including a mother and her four young children. He will not be eligible for parole for 25 years.
The Victims
The victims were 35-year-old Darshani Ekanayake and her children — seven-year-old Inuka, four-year-old Ashwini, three-year-old Ranaya, and two-month-old Kelly. A family friend, 40-year-old Gamini Amarakoon, was also killed. The father, Dhanushka Wickramasinghe, survived the attack but suffered serious injuries.
A Trusted Housemate Turned Attacker
De-Zoysa had been living in the family’s basement while studying in Canada. In court, he admitted the family had been kind to him, but said he was “unwell” at the time. Investigators learned he had purchased a large hunting knife weeks earlier.
Judge Calls Crime ‘Monstrous’
During sentencing, Justice Kevin Phillips condemned De-Zoysa’s actions, calling them “stupefying” and “the stuff of nightmares.” De-Zoysa sat expressionless for most of the hearing but offered an apology, saying he would spend his life acknowledging what he had done.
A Family Shattered
The tragedy devastated relatives both in Canada and Sri Lanka. Amarakoon’s widow said her husband had given everything to support their family. Wickramasinghe, the surviving father, told the court the loss had “destroyed my whole world,” adding that he brought his family to Canada seeking peace and opportunity.
“Please do not destroy the peace and quiet of this land,” he said. “Let us protect and respect it.”
For more on this tragic story, stay tuned to Que Onda Magazine.