In a shocking incident that has sent shockwaves throughout the Canadian capital, Ottawa, a family of six from Sri Lanka, including a mother and four young children, were brutally knifed to death late on Wednesday. As mass murders are rare in Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his horror and condolences for what he called a "terrible tragedy." Meanwhile, the father of the family survived the attack but is currently hospitalized.

The suspect, identified as Febrio De-Zoysa, a 19-year-old male student from Sri Lanka, has been arrested and charged with six counts of first-degree murder, as well as one count of attempted murder. Investigators revealed that De-Zoysa was known to the family and had been residing in their house.

The victims tragically killed in this senseless act of violence were a 35-year-old woman and her children aged seven, four, two, and just two months old. Additionally, a 40-year-old man, who was an acquaintance of the family, also lost his life.

Ottawa Police Chief, Eric Stubbs, addressed the media during a televised conference, describing the incident as a horrific act perpetrated on innocent individuals. Authorities further clarified that neither the suspect nor the family had any previous interactions with law enforcement.

The suburban neighborhood of Barrhaven, located in the southwestern part of Ottawa, was left in shock as police arrived at the scene following emergency calls just before 11 PM. Police tape surrounds the house where the victims were discovered, leaving the community in mourning.

Neighbors, such as Don Perera, recalled meeting the Sri Lankan family during a Halloween party at a nearby Catholic junior school last fall. Perera noted that the father hailed from Sri Lanka, painting a tragic picture of a community torn apart by this unfathomable violence.

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe of Ottawa took to social media to express his disbelief, calling it one of the most shocking incidents of violence in the city's history. Ottawa, with a population of one million, typically sees relatively few murders with 14 reported in 2023 and 15 in 2022.

Though infrequent, mass killings have occurred in Canada in recent years. In December 2022, a man shot and killed five people in a suburb of Toronto before being apprehended by police. Similarly, in September of the same year, an individual stabbed and killed 11 people in the western province of Saskatchewan, tragically succumbing to a cocaine overdose shortly after being arrested.

As the investigation unfolds, Ottawa remains in a state of grief and shock over this heinous crime that claimed the lives of six individuals, a stark reminder of the fragility of life and the need for vigilance against such acts of violence.