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Brett Ryan, 35, is pictured in this booking photo courtesy of the Toronto Police.Reuters

The case of a man accused of killing his mother and two of his brothers in a bloody crossbow attack has been put over to Sept. 23.

Brett Ryan, 35, is charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the attack that stunned a tranquil east-end Toronto neighbourhood last week.

Ryan appeared at a court brief hearing via video link from a Toronto detention centre on Friday.

He wore an orange jumpsuit, stood holding his hands together in front of him and only spoke when asked to tell the court his name.

Ryan has been charged in the deaths of Susan Ryan, 66, Alexander Ryan, 29 and Christopher Ryan, 42.

Police say the woman killed in the attack died from ligature strangulation, while one of the men died from a crossbow bolt stab wound to the neck and the other from a single arrowhead stab wound to the neck.

They haven't said whether the bolt and arrow were shot or used as handheld weapons.

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