'Everything is impermanent': Survivor reflects on Barrhaven killings, one year later

Amid his heartbreak and suffering, Dhanushka Wickramasinghe radiates resilience.

"It's been a tough year for me," says Wickramasinghe, who lost his wife, his four children and a family friend last March in Ottawa's worst mass killing in recent history.

"It taught me, like, a big lesson … everything is impermanent."

One year after the devastating tragedy, dozens of community members and Wickramasinghe's family from Sri Lanka gathered at the Hilda Jayewardenaramaya Buddhist Monastery on Saturday to honour the lives lost.  

Wickramasinghe was injured in the March 6, 2024 attack at his family's Barrhaven townhouse, but recovered in hospital. 

"Somehow I survived," he recalled on Saturday. "I just fought to protect my family — unfortunately I was too late."

His second chance at life, he said, is something he doesn't want to waste. 

"At that time I thought … I have two options. One, I can drink some alcohol or become addicted [to] something and waste my life, or I have to go forward with the pain," he said.

"I feel [they're] always there with me. I'm so proud of my kids and my wife. We had a beautiful love story — 15 years."

International student charged

On the night of the killings, Ottawa police Chief Eric Stubbs told reporters they'd received a pair of 911 calls.

When police arrived at the scene, they arrested 19-year-old Febrio De-Zoysa, an international student from Sri Lanka.

De-Zoysa had been living with the family at the time. He's now facing six first-degree murder charges and one count of attempted murder.

Stubbs said that a edged "knife-like" weapon was used in the killings.

In honour of his children, Wickramasinghe says he's started a foundation with all of the money donated to him from the public since the tragedy. 

The money is being sent to young children in need in Sri Lanka, he said, allowing them to get better access to education.

"That is the way he gets the freedom from suffering and grief, donating whatever he received, whatever he earned, not using any money for his [own] well-being," said Bhante Suneetha, a resident monk at the monastery.

Wickramasinghe said this initiative has helped with his emotional recovery, as even though he's lost his own kids, he can help improve the lives of children in Sri Lanka.

Ottawa remains home

Among those who attended Saturday's gathering was Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, who was asked to speak as Wickramasinghe says he's been a shoulder to lean on since day one. 

"We all need to continue to wrap our arms around this wonderful man and his family," Sutcliffe said.

"There's nothing we can do that will ever compensate for the loss that he's experienced, the grief that he's been through. But I was very touched by the fact that he wants to stay in Ottawa," he added. 

Wickramasinghe said that while he may have lost his "whole world" that day last March, he plans to stay in Ottawa because of all the good memories he has here.

"I love you Ottawa. I love the people of Ottawa," he said. "So I don't think I want to go away."