The Ottawa mother of four is remembered as a sweet, caring person whose violent death left the local community in shock and grief.

Brkti Berhe, 36, was attacked around 11:30 a.m. Thursday at the intersection of Uplands and Paul Anka roads, south of downtown and near the international airport, according to Ottawa police.

In a police media appearance Friday, Deputy Chief Trish Ferguson confirmed that Berhe’s two children were with her at Paul Landry Park when she was stabbed to death.

Fsha Tekhle, 36, of Montreal, has been charged with first-degree murder in his death. Police described the murder as femicide.

According to close family friend Helen Kibade, Berhe knew Tekhle because her aunt had recently broken off her relationship with him.

WATCH | Man charged after woman stabbed to death in front of her children in Ottawa:

1st degree charge after woman stabbed to death in front of her children in Ottawa

Fsha Tekhle of Montreal has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Brkti Berhe of Ottawa, who was stabbed multiple times in front of her children in a city park. Ottawa police describe the murder as femicide; This means killing a woman or girl because of her gender.

Community members and sources confirmed that images on a Facebook account depicted Tekhle. The account seen by CBC/Radio-Canada reporters uses a different name.

Minutes after the murder on Thursday, the account posted a word in Amharic, an Ethiopian Semitic language. Translated into English, this word means “done.”

The post was timestamped at 11:40 a.m., about 10 minutes after Berhe was killed.

The Facebook account became unusable Friday morning, before Tekhle’s first court appearance on a first-degree murder charge. According to Facebook, content may become unavailable if someone changes or deletes who can view it.

CBC could not confirm whether Tekhle owned or operated that Facebook account, whether he wrote the Thursday morning post or had any involvement in the account’s disappearance.

Kibade said that he and Berhe often played with their children in the park where his friend was attacked.

“She is a very sweet girl. She broke my heart. It’s very, very sad. I don’t understand,” said Kibade, adding that Berhe “had a very beautiful life (and) marriage.”

Tanya Pomeranz lives nearby and spoke to CBC while visiting the growing memorial in the park to leave flowers.

“I saw parents and children here playing and having fun. I probably might have seen her and her children while we were walking,” Pomeranz said.

“This place has such a sad and gloomy quality to it now. It hurts.”

‘Terrible’

Trauma specialists were dispatched to a nearby community center Friday afternoon, according to a social media post from River Ward Coun. Representing the district is Riley Brockington.

“I am so sorry to learn of yesterday’s horrific and tragic event. Children lost their mother, brutally murdered in broad daylight in a park that many of our local families use and enjoy,” Brockington said. in an interview with Radio-Canada on Friday.

“This is terrible news to hear. All murders in this city are unnecessary, but what happened yesterday was particularly brutal and difficult for the community to understand and absorb. And so many people are suffering right now.”

Brockington said he hopes to hold a community vigil next week on Oct. 29.