Late Saturday night, 21-year-old university student Raphael Atende was found with stab wounds in Ottawa’s Alta Vista neighbourhood and later died in hospital, the Ottawa Police Service announced.
It was just after 12:30 a.m. on Saturday when Ottawa Paramedic Service paramedics were called to the 1700 block of Russell Road. They arrived to find a man in cardiac arrest with apparent stab wounds. He was taken to hospital as the only patient at the scene but unfortunately could not be revived.
In a press release issued Saturday morning, police named the victim as Raphael Atende and confirmed his death is being treated as a homicide. According to the release, this marks the 15th murder in Ottawa so far this year.
Details of the incident are still limited — officers from the homicide unit are investigating how and why the stabbing took place. No arrests have been publicly reported at this time. Police are appealing for anyone with information — including possible witnesses or surveillance footage — to contact the Homicide Unit at 613-236-1222 (ext. 5493).
Friends and classmates of Atende are left reeling by the news. A young life with promise, suddenly ended. His death raises fresh concerns in the community about safety, violence, and the vulnerability of young people in urban neighbourhoods.
Russell Road sits in Alta Vista, a primarily residential area often considered quiet and family-oriented. The fact that such a violent event occurred there in the early hours of the morning has shaken neighbours, some of whom reported hearing disturbances but did not realize the severity of what had transpired until the police presence arrived.
As the investigation continues, Ottawa Police stressed that any piece of information — no matter how small — could make a difference in solving the case. Anonymous tips are accepted through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Raphael’s death reminds us that behind every statistic is a human being — a friend, a son, a student — whose loss ripples outwards to family, community, and classmates. In the coming days, his loved ones will grapple with that absence and the unanswered questions of what happened in those early hours. The hope now is that justice will follow, and heightened awareness might help prevent future tragedies like this one.
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