An Ottawa mother of four is being remembered as a gentle and caring person whose violent death left the local community in shock and mourning.

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

During a press briefing with police on Friday, Deputy Chief Trish Ferguson confirmed that two of Berhe’s children were with her at Paul Landry Park when she was stabbed to death.

A 36-year-old Montreal man, Fsha Tekhle, was charged with first-degree murder following his death. Police called the killing a femicide.

Berhe knew Tekhle because his aunt had recently ended a relationship with him, according to close family friend Helen Kibade.

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

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

Montrealer Fsha Tekhle has been charged with first-degree murder following the death of Brkti Berhe, of Ottawa, who was stabbed multiple times in front of her children in a municipal park. Ottawa police are calling the killing femicide, which is when a woman or girl is killed because of their gender.

Community members and sources have confirmed that images on a Facebook account depict Tekhle. The report, which CBC/Radio-Canada journalists saw, uses a different name.

Minutes after Thursday’s killing, the account posted a word in Amharic, an Ethiopian Semitic language. Translated into English, the word means “finished.”

The message was time-stamped at 11:40 a.m., about 10 minutes after Berhe’s assassination.

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

CBC has not been able to verify whether Tekhle owns or operates this Facebook account, whether he wrote or posted the Thursday morning post himself or whether he had anything to do with the account’s disappearance.

Kibade said she and Berhe often played with their children in the park where her friend was attacked.

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

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

“I’ve seen parents and children playing and having fun here. Chances are I’ve seen her and her children just in the way we walk around,” Pomeranz said.

“It’s a place now that has such sadness and such a dark quality. It hurts my heart.”

“Simply horrible”

Trauma professionals were deployed to a nearby community center Friday afternoon, according to a social media post from River Ward Coun. Riley Brockington, who represents the region.

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

“This is horrible news to hear. All murders are unnecessary in this city, but yesterday’s murder was particularly brutal and difficult for the community to understand and absorb. And a lot of people are hurting right now.”

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