Three females of Guyanese descent were brutally stabbed resulting in the death of two and one being hospitalised in an attack that occurred in their South Ottawa, Canada, home, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) yesterday reported.
Dead are 50-year-old Anne-Marie Ready, who worked at Global Affairs Canada and her 15-year-old daughter, Jasmine Ready. Nineteen-year-old Catherine Ready survived the attack. Catherine was also shot by police when they opened fire on the suspect.
According to the news outlet, the fatal stabbing was committed by 21-year-old Joshua Greaves, who was later killed by law enforcement after he refused to drop his weapon.
Greaves’ relatives told CBC he had previously shown “romantic” interest in one of the daughters and had been told to stop contacting her.
CBC reported that police showed up at 1273 Anoka St. at about 10:30 p.m. Monday after a 911 call from the house in which screaming could be heard.
Patrol officers arrived to find Graves in the act of stabbing Catherine Ready on the street just outside. They ordered him to drop the knife, according to preliminary information released by Ontario’s police watchdog, the Special Investigations Unit (SIU).
When Graves didn’t obey those orders, three different patrol officers fired on him.
Graves was pronounced dead at the scene. Catherine Ready was taken to hospital for her multiple stab wounds and gunshot wound.
The stabbings came just three days after Graves appeared in court on his first criminal offences. He was arrested Thursday, then charged and released from custody on Friday.
Neighbours described the family, especially the sisters, as friendly fixtures on the street who they often saw walking their dog or mowing the lawn.
Anne-Marie Ready was a trade commissioner for Global Affairs Canada’s Caribbean engagement division, according to her online LinkedIn page. She had worked at the department since 2017.
Prior to 2017, Anne-Marie worked in the Embassy of Canada to Peru and the High Commission of Canada to Barbados, according to her online employment history.
In an email to CBC, Global Affairs spokesperson Jason Kung said the department was aware of the “tragic death” of an employee and was reaching out to support relatives and colleagues.
Jasmine Ready had recently finished Grade 10 at the French Catholic high school, Franco-Cité, in their neighbourhood of Alta Vista.
Catherine Ready is a student at the University of Ottawa, according to her social media page. She had graduated from Franco-Cité last year, according to Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est, which posted a statement about the two teens on social media.
The board wrote in French that its community “is in shock following the drama that occurred Monday in one of our own families.”
“We invite you to join us in prayer, that they may find the comfort they need to go through this ordeal,” the statement reads.
The mother and Jasmine had recently received their black belts together from the Douvris Martial Arts, according to master sensei John Douvris, a co-founder of the company.
“Anne-Marie and Jasmine were kindhearted, compassionate, energetic and supportive people,” Douvris wrote in an emailed statement Thursday.
“Their beautiful smiles and kind laughter made our dojo and karate community a better place. We will miss them immensely… Our entire karate family is grieving this inexplicable and tremendous loss.”
