Ottawa, Canada massacre: 6 found dead in home including 2 kids, police say

An investigation is underway after authorities in Canada discovered six people — four children and two adults — dead inside a residence in the nation’s capital city.

Authorities were called to a home in Barrhaven, a suburb in southern Ottawa, late Wednesday night, Ottawa Police said on X. When they arrived around 11 p.m., officers were met with what Police chief Eric Stubbs called a “horrific scene,” less than 10 miles away from the city’s thriving downtown.

Stubbs in an interview with CBC News on Thursday said those found dead inside the residence were victims of a “mass shooting,” though authorities have not otherwise confirmed the causes of death. A seventh person was also hospitalized in the wake of the grisly discovery, though their injuries do not appear to be life threatening.

Neither the identities of the deceased nor the age or identity of the person in the hospital has been confirmed.

Police said they detained one person in connection with the case shortly after they arrived on the scene. They did not provide further details, but Stubbs told CTV authorities suspect the massacre stemmed from a domestic violence situation. He added that there does not appear to be any additional threat to the public at this time.

“I was devastated to learn of the multiple homicide in Barrhaven, one of the most shocking incidents of violence in our city’s history,” Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said in a statement posted to X. “We are proud to live in a safe community but this news is distressing to all Ottawa residents.”