Man killed on Provender Avenue, police say

Ottawa police say a man was killed early Friday morning and one person is in custody.

Supt. Jamie Dunlop said officers received a call about an injured person in a home on Provender Avenue, east of central Ottawa, just before 6 a.m.

Paramedics said the victim was inside the building, had been assaulted with an edged weapon, and was pronounced dead at the scene.

He was later identified by police as 42-year-old Trevor Needham of Ottawa. Dunlop said he had been staying at the home on Provender Avenue for a few days but did not live there.

Police have charged 38-year old Jeremy Joseph Young of Ottawa with second-degree murder and attempted murder. He is scheduled to appear in court Saturday.

Resident injured

A woman who does live there suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to police.

The scene is near the intersection of Montreal and Blair roads, about six kilometres east of the downtown core.

Several units in a row of town homes were cordoned off by police Friday morning, and officers were going in and out of homes and questioning neighbours. 

Diane Duvall, who lives nearby, said she heard a "big scream" while drinking her morning coffee at about 5:30 a.m.

"It's not the first time I've seen that here," she said, referencing the police cruisers and commotion outside her front door.

"It's a good neighbourhood, but there's a lot of stuff happening sometimes."

Another neighbour, Ella Plummer, said the area is generally quiet.

"Sometimes there's a little bit of action. It is what it is," she said. "Every neighbourhood has its own people, but other than that it's usually the same, calm and peaceful."

Plummer grew up in the area and moved back as an adult.

"It's really unfortunate, I know a lot of my neighbours," she said. "Unfortunately, I don't know what happened over there, but I hope everything's OK."

3 homicides in 7 days

Police called the Friday's killing the eighth homicide in Ottawa this year and said — before announcing the second-degree murder charge against Young Friday evening — that charges have been laid for six of them.

They are now investigating three homicides committed in seven days, following one near Chinatown Saturday evening and another in Lowertown Tuesday.

In a Friday afternoon statement, police said the killings are not connected, but did not offer more details.

"We understand that uncertainty can be frustrating. These investigations are complex, and to ensure a fair and impartial court process, we are limited in the details we can share," police wrote.

"However, our Community Police Officers are working directly with impacted communities, alongside city councillors, to provide as much information as possible."