Mohammed Al-Lami, 40, has been identified by Ottawa Police as the father of two boys, age seven and 12, who were found deceased in his residence in Ottawa. Al-Lami was later found to have died from suicide and was located in a vehicle that was reported to be on fire in a Highway 416 park and ride lot north of Kemptville. His dental office located in Iroquois, Ontario was also found to have been firebombed with gasoline cans. Photo Courtesy Facebook

OTTAWA – Ottawa police are investigating what they describe as a complex murder-suicide after two young boys were found dead inside a south Ottawa home and their father’s body was discovered in a burned vehicle near Kemptville.

Officers conducting a wellness check at a home on Mandevilla Crescent in Ottawa’s Findlay Creek neighbourhood at about 10 a.m. Monday found the bodies of two brothers, ages seven and 12. The police investigation indicates that the two boys were killed in the Findlay Creek townhouse of their father sometime overnight between Sun., June 28 – Mon., June 29.

Calling the investigation “ongoing and complex,” police said they were also working with the Ontario Provincial Police at two additional scenes believed to be connected to the deaths.

Shortly after 2 a.m. Mon., June 29th, OPP members along with South Dundas Fire responded to a fire at a dental office in a commercial plaza on County Road 2 in Iroquois. Investigation revealed that property had been set ablaze using cans of gasoline. The building is a three-story structure with bachelor and one-bedroom rental apartments on the second and third floor and a 24-hour fitness centre and dental office under the name of Road 2 Dentistry on the main level. Residents report being awakened by the sound of an explosion.

The blaze was extinguished without injuries, but members of the OPP as well as personnel from the Office of the Fire Marshal were still on scene Tuesday morning and the property was still secured by police later that evening. As of Wednesday, July1, the building had been temporarily secured and there was no longer a police presence.

The second OPP scene was a Highway 416 carpool north of Kemptville. The body of the boys’ father was located in a vehicle which had been reported as on fire shortly after 5:30 a.m. He had died of an apparent suicide.

The children’s parents were divorced, and the boys were found inside their father’s home, Ottawa police Supt. Jamie Dunlop said during a Monday afternoon news conference.

A third party, identified only as not being the children’s mother, requested the wellness check after becoming concerned when no one answered the door.

“It was an individual who had a reason to go by the home to check on the condition of the house, was concerned when nobody answered the door and contacted police to come and do a wellness check,” Dunlop said.

Police are not releasing the names of the two child victims out of respect for the privacy of the surviving family members. Dunlop said the children’s mother, relatives and friends will be interviewed as part of the investigation.

“There are other children associated with the family, but we’re confident that they’re all in good care at the moment,” he said.

The father and mother of the two deceased children were divorced. Court records indicate that the father was found guilty in Ottawa’s Ontario Court of Justice of uttering threats of bodily harm to his ex-wife in an email in 2024.

He had received a conditional discharge and was placed on probation for a period of one year with conditions to not communicate with his ex-wife in any way, except with her prior written consent or through a third party or court order to arrange contact with his children, of whom he had custody every other weekend.

“Obviously it’s a very tragic incident for the families, the friends, neighbours,” Dunlop said. “Certainly, when children are involved, it’s extra difficult to understand.”

Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe expressed his condolences in a statement posted on social media.

“I’m shocked and heartbroken to learn of the tragic deaths of two children in the south end of our city. There are no words to describe this immeasurable loss. My thoughts are with everyone grieving today, especially the family and their close friends. I encourage everyone who needs help to reach out for support.”

Late Thursday afternoon, July 2, Ottawa Police released an update on the investigation which identified the father as Mohammed Al-Lami, 40. “Several investigative and forensic examinations are still outstanding and require time to complete,” read the release. “The Ottawa Police Service recognizes the community’s desire for answers and will provide further information when those processes have been completed.”

There will be no prosecution in the case as the deceased father is the only suspect. Regardless, both the Ottawa police homicide unit and the OPP must still conduct a complete investigation to confirm what happened and as much as humanly possible, try to understand why.