updated

Ottawa police believe father killed his 2 sons, 7 and 12, then himself in double-homicide, suicide

Two boys were found dead in a home in the south community of Leitrim on June 29, 2026. (CityNews)

Posted June 29, 2026 2:19 pm.

Last Updated June 29, 2026 5:31 pm.

EDITOR’S NOTE: An earlier press release by police incorrectly indicated one of the boys was 10. This article has been updated with the proper age.

Two young boys and their father were found dead in what police suspect to be a case of double murder-suicide in Ottawa on Monday.

The boys aged seven and twelve were found by emergency responders around 10:00 a.m. inside a home on Mandevilla Crescent in the Leitrim community when police conducted a wellness check at the prompting on a concerned family friend.

Next-of-kin are being notified and the names of the children are not being released at this time, Ottawa police say.

Earlier on Monday around 5:30 a.m. officials were called to Highway 416 at Rideau River Road, for a vehicle fire. Ottawa police say that the children’s father was located in the vehicle dead. The carpool lot in Kemptville was closed for the investigation.

“We do believe that’s a suicide,” Supt. Jamie Dunlop said about the discovery of the father, adding that police working on the theory that the father previously murdered his two sons.

“We do believe this was a double-homicide, suicide at this moment,” he added.

Dunlop said the father and mother were divorced.

He said there are other children in the family and he’s “confident they are all in good care at the moment.”

The “complex investigation” is ongoing as officers say the force is working with the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) on “related aspects of the case.”

OPP in Iroquois, Ont., a community along the Seaway, are also “holding” a scene of a business fire for Ottawa police.

*Map showcasing the approximate scenes of an investigation that is being held for Ottawa police and where the two children were found dead. (Google Maps)*

“Investigators continue to assess the connections between these incidents and do not believe there is any ongoing threat to the public,” officials said.

Steve Desroches, the councillor for Riverside South-Findlay Creek, expressed his condolences on social media.

“I am shocked & deeply saddened to learn of the tragic deaths in Findlay Creek today, including 2 young children,” he said in a social media post. “This is a heartbreaking tragedy & my thoughts are with the family & friends at this difficult time.”