Friends of teen who survived Anoka Street stabbing 'stunned,' praying for recovery

The loved ones of 19-year old Catherine Ready say they're in shock as she remains in the hospital nearly a week after a fatal stabbing at her family's Alta Vista home.

Ready was rushed to The Ottawa Hospital's Civic campus trauma unit on June 27 with serious stab wounds and a gunshot injury after she was attacked outside the home on Anoka Street by 21-year-old Joshua Graves.

Graves had earlier fatally stabbed her mother, 50-year-old Anne-Marie Ready, and her younger sister, 15-year-old Jasmine Ready.

When police arrived on the scene at around 10:30 p.m., they found Graves, the son of the family's next-door neighbour, stabbing Ready in the road near the house.

According to the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), Ontario's police watchdog, three officers opened fire on Graves after he refused to drop his knife, killing him. Catherine Ready was hit as well.

"All of our hearts dropped when we found out," said Katherine Sauvé, Ready's high school friend.

CBC News has learned that Graves had a "romantic" interest in one of the victims, according to his own family, and was just charged just days earlier with stalking and sexual assault against another 16-year old girl.

The SIU said on Tuesday that Ready was in serious but stable condition.

Tight-knit family

Sauvé said she's still in disbelief over that night, like many others who were close to the family.

Sauvé and Ready attended high school at École secondaire catholique Franco-Cité, graduating together in 2021. She said Ready returned to Canada a few years ago from Lima, Peru, where her mother was working in the Canadian embassy.

Sauvé described her friend as incredibly kind, and said whenever she needed help with school, she would go to Ready.

"She really had the brains… she's so nice, open-minded," she said.

Ready was inseparable from her younger sister and very close to her mother, Sauvé said, and the trio frequently took long walks with their white terrier, Jenny.

She said the tight-knit family also enjoyed going out to brunch together.

"I'm stunned, honestly," she said. "It's really hard to believe someone would do that to her, because she's such a nice person."

"We still can't believe it."

Nadia Larocque-Lauzon also went to high school with Ready, and said they bonded over music and podcasts.

"She was always there for me," said Larocque-Lauzon, describing her friend as sweet and friendly.

After they graduated, Ready went on to study at the University of Ottawa. Larocque-Lauzon said she was taking classes in psychology there and has a great interest in pursuing psychotherapy.

"It's something that I'm sure she's going to be good at," she said.

'Hopefully she will get through this' 

Sauvé and Larocque-Lauzon said they're eager to visit their friend at the hospital, but so far they haven't been able to see her.

"It's going to take a long time [for Catherine] to cope with this," said Sauvé. "With our support, hopefully she will get through this."

Neighbours of the family have been leaving flowers and sympathy cards on the Ready family's front lawn this week. Relatives and friends are also holding a vigil on Saturday evening for the family.

Both Sauvé and Larocque-Lauzon, meanwhile, are praying for Ready's recovery and survival.

"I put it in God's hands," said Larocque-Lauzon.