OTTAWA — A 20-year-old man has pleaded guilty to the murders of a mother, her four children, and a family friend in a mass stabbing that occurred in Ottawa in March 2024. Febrio De Zoysa entered his plea in an Ottawa courtroom, admitting to four counts of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder, and one count of attempted murder.

The victims included 35-year-old Darshani Ekanayake and her four children, aged two months to seven years. The family friend, 40-year-old Gamini Amarakoon, was also killed in the attack. Dhanushka Wickramasinghe, the children’s father, sustained serious injuries during the incident.

At the time of the stabbings on March 6, 2024, De Zoysa was living with the Wickramasinghe family as an international student. He was 19 years old and resided in their basement in the Barrhaven suburb of Ottawa. Following the attack, he was arrested at the scene without incident and charged with six counts of first-degree murder the next day.

During the court proceedings, De Zoysa stood alongside his lawyer, Ewan Lyttle, as he pleaded guilty to the first-degree murder charges for the children: Ranaya, three; Ashwini, four; Inuka, seven; and for Gamini Amarakoon. The automatic sentence for these charges is life in prison, with no possibility of parole for 25 years.

For the remaining two victims, Darshani Ekanayake and her two-month-old daughter Kelly, De Zoysa pleaded guilty to the lesser charges of second-degree murder. Sentences for second-degree murder also result in life imprisonment, but the eligibility for parole will be determined by Justice Kevin Phillips after considering input from both the Crown and the defense.

The incident has been described as one of the most shocking acts of violence in Ottawa's history, drawing significant media attention across Canada and Sri Lanka. The Wickramasinghe family had recently immigrated to Canada from Sri Lanka, except for the baby, Kelly. Amarakoon was also a Sri Lankan national, working to support his family back home.

The court is expected to hear more details about the events leading up to the attack, as well as victim impact statements in the coming proceedings.