2 men charged with 2nd-degree murder in east Ottawa stabbing, police say

Ottawa police say a 25-year-old is among two men charged with second-degree murder in connection with the fatal stabbing of Omar Jonathan Grant in the city's east end Saturday night.

Officers were called to the 500 block of St. Laurent Boulevard around 9:25 p.m. ET. They found Grant, 25, with serious injuries, police said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. He later died in hospital.

Police identified Grant as the victim on Sunday.

In a Monday update, police said Jacob Blanchard, 25, has been charged with second-degree murder and assault with a weapon.

He appeared in court and was remanded into custody. 

A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Samuel Laurin-Gauvreau, 25, of Ottawa. He has also been charged with second-degree murder and assault with a weapon. 

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Ottawa Police Service's Homicide Unit at 613-236-1222 ext. 5493. Anonymous tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at crimestoppers.ca.

In a statement, Ottawa Community Housing said it's focused on providing tenants and the community with the support they need.

The organization said it "responded immediately, deploying our team to support those affected," but added it cannot share specific details because of the ongoing police investigation.

Some residents said they would attend a gathering OCH held in the St. Laurent Boulevard building on Tuesday afternoon in hopes of getting more answers.