A 28-year-old man has been formally charged with the stabbing death of a Brampton couple who police say were targeted at random.

The suspect has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder.

Police say the suspect, a Brampton resident, remains in hospital under police custody. He was admitted to hospital after police found self-inflicted knife wounds on his body. The suspect was Tasered to prevent him from hurting himself any further.

Once his condition improves, the suspect will make a court appearance, police said in a news release issued Sunday.

Nazifa and Rahimullah Shahghasy were running errands at an outdoor plaza in Brampton on the afternoon of April 30 when they got into an altercation with a male suspect.

While Nazifa was inside a dentist office, her husband went next door to go and buy some food . It was when she was walking back to her vehicle that she was attacked.

"The attack was completely unprovoked," Peel police Insp. Norm English told reporters on Thursday. "The husband saw what was happening and tried to help his wife, but was overcome by the male."

Both victims were in their early 50s and lived in Brampton. They died at the scene.

The couple came to Canada from Afghanistan 20 years ago. They have two children, a 21-year-old son and a 19-year-old daughter.

Dwayne Robert Palmer will appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton to face charges.