A 35-year-old mother, her four children; ranging in age from 2 1/2-months to 7-years-old and a 40-year-old male family acquaintance were all killed in a suburban Ottawa townhouse.

The husband and father survived and remains in serious but stable condition in hospital.

 

 

Police Chief Eric Stubbs called it ”a senseless act of violence, perpetrated on purely innocent people.”

Charged with six-counts of first-degree murder and one of attempted-murder is a 19-year-old international student who also lived in the Barrhaven neighbourhood townhouse.

The chief adds he knows there are a lot of questions but asks that investigators be given time to get answers.

Police say the weapon was a knife-like object and that this is believed to be the largest homicide case in Ottawa’s history.

Sri Lanka’s high commission confirms the victims were all from that country and that officials were in touch with family back home in the capital of Colombo.