Toronto man charged with Lawrence Heights murder after Halifax arrest

Leeroy Chikonyora, 31, was arrested by RCMP in Halifax on Oct. 8 and charged with first-degree murder in the Oct. 4 shooting death of Christopher Gordon in North York.

Toronto suspect nabbed by RCMP in Halifax for North York murder

Toronto Police announced Thursday evening that a 31-year-old Toronto man has been arrested in Nova Scotia in connection with a fatal shooting earlier this month in the Lawrence Heights neighbourhood of North York, Toronto Sun Crime reports.

Leeroy Chikonyora was located and taken into custody on Oct. 8 by officers from the RCMP's Halifax detachment. He was subsequently charged by Toronto Police with first-degree murder and obstruction of justice. Chikonyora had not previously been publicly named as a suspect in the case.

The victim, Christopher Gordon, 34, of Toronto, was found with traumatic injuries inside a residential apartment building near Flemington Rd. and Blossomfield Dr. at approximately 8:20 a.m. on Oct. 4. First responders performed life-saving measures at the scene, but Gordon was pronounced dead. His killing was recorded as Toronto's 30th homicide of the year. Police have not yet announced his cause of death.

An "echo-tiered response" — representing the highest level of medical dispatch urgency — was triggered after a disturbance was reported inside the fourth-floor unit where the incident occurred. Det.-Sgt. Sajeev Nair told reporters on Oct. 4 that an unknown number of individuals, including a suspect, had fled the building before officers arrived. He added that investigators had a "significant amount of video surveillance" to work with, and that Gordon was not believed to be a resident of the building.

Chikonyora's arrest came 10 days after Toronto Police publicly warned that a second suspect, Cody Rudifo, 32, of Timmins, Ont., was also wanted for first-degree murder in connection with the shooting. Rudifo remains the subject of a nationwide arrest warrant.

"If located, do not approach and call 911," the homicide and missing persons unit stated. "The suspect is considered to be armed and dangerous."

Lawrence Heights has been the focus of increased police attention in recent months. The neighbourhood, located across from Yorkdale Shopping Centre and bounded by Yorkdale Rd. to the north, Dufferin St. to the west, Lawrence Ave. W. to the south, and Vanier Dr. to the east, was the site of a mass shooting in June 2025. That incident left a 31-year-old wheelchair-bound man dead and five others injured.

In response to that shooting, Toronto Police established a community hub in Lawrence Heights in March. Mayor Olivia Chow, Police Chief Myron Demkiw, and Deputy Mayor Mike Colle attended the opening.

Anyone with information about Rudifo's whereabouts or Gordon's death is asked to contact Toronto Police at 416-808-7400, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-8477 or 222tips.com.

Source: Toronto Sun Crime