By Ayomide Otitoju
A man suspected of killing four of his own children during a deadly attack in Suriname’s capital has died by suicide while in police custody, authorities confirmed on Monday.
Police said the suspect, a 43-year-old man identified only by the initials D.A., was found dead in his cell at a police station, where he had been detained following the attack that left nine people dead over the weekend.
According to police, the suspect was believed to be experiencing mental health challenges. Four of his children, aged between five and 15, were among the victims killed during the incident, which occurred overnight from Saturday into Sunday in and around the family’s home in Paramaribo.
Police Chief Melvin Pinas said the suspect had earlier been involved in a domestic dispute before launching the attack. Two of the children reportedly escaped and alerted their grandmother, who lived nearby. The grandparents later went to intervene but were also killed, authorities said.
The suspect went on to kill others at a nearby residence before being intercepted by police as he attempted to move to another location. He was shot in the legs during his arrest, taken to hospital for treatment, and later transferred to a police holding cell on Sunday evening.
Justice and Police Minister Harish Monorath said the suspect was placed under monitoring after being moved from the hospital but managed to take his own life when he was briefly left unattended. He added that authorities were investigating how the incident occurred while the suspect was in custody.
The tragedy has sparked widespread shock and mourning across the country, with officials and members of the public expressing condolences to the victims’ families and calling for greater attention to mental health and domestic violence prevention.
