Raphael Atende dies in fatal Russell Heights stabbing

Raphael Atende dies in fatal Russell Heights stabbing

Fatal Russell Heights stabbing death of Raphael Atende

Police confirmed the death of 21-year-old Raphael Atende following the discovery of the body at the 1700 block of Russell Road early Saturday morning. In an official statement, Ottawa police reported the man was found deceased shortly after midnight on October 18, 2025.

The incident marks the 15th homicide investigation currently active within Ottawa this year. Following the identification of the victim, officers from the city’s homicide unit arrived at the scene, along with security personnel from Ottawa Community Housing. Their preliminary investigation began at the Russell Heights location.

Further confirmation was obtained through police identification, placing the stabbing incident in the Russell Heights community. While the specific location cited by authorities was the 1700 block of Russell Road, police officially identified the area as ‘Russell Heights’.

Investigators noted that this violent event occurred less than a week after another incident in the same general area. On Thanksgiving Day, which fell on October 24th, authorities responded to a shooting near the location, but reported no injuries resulted from that earlier occurrence.