A man has pleaded guilty to multiple charges related to a mass stabbing that occurred in Barrhaven last year. Febrio De-Zoysa entered his plea in court on Thursday, admitting to four counts of first-degree murder and two counts of second-degree murder. He also pleaded guilty to one count of attempted murder.

The attack took place at a rented townhouse on Berrigan Drive, where De-Zoysa was living rent-free in the basement as an international student. He killed six people, including four children. The victims were identified as Darshani Dilanthika Ekanayake, a 35-year-old mother, 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 among the deceased.

Dhanushka Wickramasinghe, Ekanayake’s husband, was seriously injured during the attack and is the sole survivor of the incident. In court, De-Zoysa sat quietly as the Crown lawyer read the agreed statement of facts. Members of the Sri Lankan community, including Wickramasinghe, were present in the courtroom, visibly emotional as the proceedings unfolded.

Initially, De-Zoysa faced six counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder. His guilty pleas have now altered the course of the legal proceedings surrounding this tragic case. The community continues to mourn the loss of the victims, particularly the young children who were killed in the attack.