By Canadian Press

Ottawa residents to hold vigil for victims of mass stabbing

Mar 9, 2024 | 4:03 AM

OTTAWA — A vigil for the six victims of a deadly mass stabbing in Ottawa is expected to take place today.

The vigil is scheduled for 11 a.m. in Palmadeo Park, near the home in the suburb of Barrhaven where two adults and four children were killed Wednesday night.

Thirty-five-year-old Darshani Ekanayake and her four children, the youngest only two and a half months old, were killed, as was a 40-year-old family friend who was staying with them.

The father, Dhanushka Wickramasinghe, was the sole survivor and is in hospital recovering from injuries sustained in a struggle with the suspect, who faces murder charges.

Naradha Kodituwakku of the Buddhist Congress of Canada, who visited him in hospital, said Wickramasinghe has felt the community’s support.

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The Buddhist Congress of Canada has also set up a fundraiser on the GoFundMe platform to support the victims’ families. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 9, 2024.

The Canadian Press