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Huntingdale tragedy: Indika Gunathilaka named as father who killed children in double-murder suicide

Headshot of Emily Moulton
Emily MoultonThe West Australian
VideoA Huntingdale father committed an unspeakable crime by killing his own children before taking his own life.

This is the Huntingdale father who committed the unspeakable on Friday by killing his own children before taking his own life.

Indika Gunathilaka was expected to drop off his six-year-old son, Kohan, and four-year-old daughter, Lily, to their mother that afternoon at an agreed location.

But instead the 40-year-old, who in December posted an 18 minute monologue on Facebook claiming he was suffering from depression, cut short their precious lives then took his own.

WA Police confirmed on Saturday they were treating the tragedy as a double-murder suicide but would not discuss the circumstances surrounding the family dynamics — or the man’s mental health.

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Assistant Commissioner Allan Adams revealed that the children’s mother frantically called police concerned for their welfare after they did not arrive at the pick-up point.

Indika Gunathilaka was expected to drop his two kids to their mother that afternoon at an agreed location but he did not show.
Camera IconIndika Gunathilaka was expected to drop his two kids to their mother that afternoon at an agreed location but he did not show. Credit: facebook/supplied

She then called family members who rushed to the Essington Street address before calling police.

However she was not aware her children had died until after police attended the scene.

Mr Gunathilaka previously worked as a town planner and set up his own business IMG Town Planning and Development Solutions in 2014.

He was also a singer and founding committee member of the Western Australia Royal College Old Boys Association, a social group for Sri Lankan men.

In the 18-minute video, Mr Gunathilaka claimed to have been recently diagnosed with depression and likened the illness to being in a “deep, dark hole”.

“People who’ve known me well enough for long enough I feel certain they may not think of me as someone going through depression,” he said.

“I’m not ashamed or embarrassed to say it out loud because it was not self-inflicted. It was not drug or alcohol induced. It’s just how life worked out.

With family photos on the wall behind him and a dog barking in the background, he spoke directly to the camera.

Family and friends delivered flowers and stuffed toys to Essington Street in Huntingdale on Saturday after a murder-suicide occured on Friday night.
Camera IconFamily and friends delivered flowers and stuffed toys to Essington Street in Huntingdale on Saturday after a murder-suicide occured on Friday night. Credit: Kelsey Reid/The West Australian

“The unpleasant side of mental health issues.. is not only does it affect you it affects the people around you,” he said.

“We’ve all stuffed up. Sometimes big time.

“Hopefully those stuff ups or f... ups have not been irreversible or been detrimental to someone to the extent it’s irreversible damage.”

Gunathilaka’s Facebook page is also littered with posts about mental health awareness and self-help.

On New Year’s Day he posted that this was the “Year of truth and justice” and just two days before he murdered Kohan and Lily he posted a photo of him standing on a beach holding their hands.

Friends of the 40-year-old Sir Lankan Australian have also been posting on social media about the tragedy saying they wished he had “reached out”.

Lifeline: 13 11 14

1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)

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