The brutal loss of his family and a “dear friend” in one of Ottawa’s worst mass killings has left Dhanushka Wickramasinghe “devastated,” the survivor of the attacks said in a statement.
“This tragedy has shaken me and my family deeply. I am devastated and torn by the loss of my beloved wife Dharshini and my beautiful angels Inuka, Ranaya, Ashwini and Kelly and my dear friend Gamini on March 6th,” Wickramasinghe said in a statement circulated by Ottawa police Monday afternoon.
He had also offered the reflections during a funeral service on Sunday and said he needed some private time to grieve the loss of his family.
“I will not be granting any interviews at this time and ask that media continue to respect my need for privacy and proper grieving.”
Wickramasinghe thanked Ottawa first responders, Ottawa police, victim services and Ottawa hospitals “for your quick response which helped me navigate through the initial shock and chaos that followed because of this tragedy.”
He also extended thanks to the Buddhist Congress of Canada, the Ottawa Sri Lankan community and people of Sri Lanka “for being a pillar of support during this unimaginably difficult time.”
On Sunday, more than a hundred mourners offered tearful prayers and calls for solidarity and compassion at the funeral for the Sri Lankan family slain in one of the worst mass killings in Ottawa’s history.
The Wickramasinghe family members were Sri Lankan newcomers to Canada, and the youngest was born in this country. The sixth victim was described by Wickramasinghe as a “dear friend.”
Police arrested a 19-year-old Sri Lankan man on the evening of the attack and charged him with six counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder.
Police said Febrio De-Zoysa was an international student who had been living with the family at the time of their deaths.
De-Zoysa’s lawyer, Ewan Lyttle, said his client is being held in protective custody and his family is “obviously very upset” about the allegations.
– -With files from Canadian Press