In the early hours of Friday in Ottawa’s Carlington neighbourhood, 37-year-old Andrew Dawson-Swann was fatally stabbed outside an apartment building on Shillington Avenue, police say. The brutal incident has left a community shaken and two people facing serious murder charges.
Just after 12:30 a.m., Ottawa police responded to an emergency call at a four-storey building in the 1200 block of Shillington Avenue, near Fisher Avenue. Officers found Dawson-Swann with life-threatening stab wounds. Paramedics rushed him to a nearby hospital, but he later died from his injuries.
By mid-morning, police confirmed two suspects were in custody. 32-year-old Sabrina Danis Charlebois and 30-year-old Cody Maltby have both been charged with second-degree murder. They appeared in court and remain held in custody as the legal process unfolds.
Neighbours described hearing a violent disturbance just before police arrived. One resident said the sound was like a “fight or war happening upstairs,” followed by someone yelling, “I’m gonna kill you,” before the call for help.
This killing is being treated as Ottawa’s second homicide so far in 2026, following a separate stabbing incident just blocks away last week on Mayview Avenue. The police have said they are investigating whether the two events are connected, but no official link has been confirmed.
Local law enforcement is urging anyone with information to come forward. Witness tips are crucial in piecing together what happened in the moments leading up to Dawson-Swann’s death, and investigators continue to gather evidence from the scene.
Friends and neighbours are mourning a life cut short. Those who knew Dawson-Swann described him in heartfelt terms, painting a picture of someone they knew personally and respected. The sudden loss has stirred sorrow across the small Carlington community.
As the case moves through the courts and police continue their work, residents and loved ones are left grappling with shock and grief. Ottawa police are still asking for video footage or witness accounts that might help clarify the events of that painful night.
