Four children among six dead in suburban Ottawa home

OTTAWA, Canada – A man was arrested after four children and two adults were found dead at a suburban home near Canada’s capital city Ottawa, police said Thursday.

The victims have not yet been identified, a police press release said, adding that detectives had launched a “tragic and complex investigation”.

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his “shock and horror” at what he called a “terrible tragedy”.

Police said they found six bodies in a property in the Ottawa suburb of Barrhaven after receiving a call at 11 pm Wednesday evening (0400 GMT Thursday).

Officers arrested a man at the scene and a seventh person, who was injured, was taken to hospital.

The incident was initially thought to be a shooting but police later said this was not confirmed.

Speaking at a press conference, Trudeau said: “Obviously, our first reactions are all ones of shock and horror at this terrible violence… And we expect the police of jurisdiction to be doing the work and keeping us all informed of this terrible tragedy.”

Ottawa’s mayor Mark Sutcliffe wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “I was devastated to learn of the multiple homicides in Barrhaven, one of the most shocking incidents of violence in our city’s history.

“We are proud to live in a safe community but this news is distressing to all Ottawa residents.”

Ottawa’s police force said a media conference on the incident was planned for Thursday afternoon. — Agence France-Presse