Toronto man accused of Lawrence Heights murder caught by Mounties in Halifax

Leeroy Chikonyora, 31, has since been charged with 1st-degree murder, obstruction; second suspect still on the lam

Published Oct 15, 2026  •  Last updated 4 minutes ago  •  2 minute read

An RCMP cruiser. Photo by Brent Calver /Postmedia Network

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One of two men accused of murder after a fatal shooting earlier this month in North York has been tracked down by cops in Nova Scotia.

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Toronto Police announced on Thursday evening that Leeroy Chikonyora, 31, of Toronto, was found by officers out of the RCMP’s Halifax detachment on Oct. 8 and arrested for a return to his hometown.

Chikonyora, who cops had not previously named as a suspect in the case, has since been charged by Toronto Police with first-degree murder and obstruction of justice.

The arrest and charges came 10 days after police had warned the public to be on the lookout for Cody Rudifo, 32, of Timmins, Ont., who is also wanted for first-degree murder after the Oct. 4 shooting at an apartment complex in North York’s Lawrence Heights neighbourhood.

Toronto Police warned the public to be on the lookout for Cody Rudifo, 32, of Timmins, Ont., who is wanted for first-degree murder. Photo by Toronto Police

Cops: 2nd suspect consider ‘armed and dangerous’

Police said he continues to be the subject of a nationwide warrant.

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

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The warrant was issued after the fatal shooting which happened at about 8:20 a.m. near Flemington Rd. and Blossomfield Dr. in Lawrence Heights, which was the scene of a mass shooting in June 2025.

Cops said an “echo-tiered response” – prompting the highest medical dispatch urgency – was issued after a disturbance was heard inside a residential apartment building, where a man was found with “traumatic injuries.”

First responders attempted life-saving measures, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police identified the victim earlier this month as Christopher Gordon, 34, of Toronto. His slaying was Toronto’s 30th homicide of the year.

Cops have yet to announce his cause of death.

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Det.-Sgt. Sajeev Nair told reporters at the scene on Oct. 4 that an unknown number of people – including a suspect – fled from the fourth-floor unit where the incident happened before police arrived, but that they had a “significant amount of video surveillance” to work with.

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He also said they did not believe that Gordon was a resident of the building.

Cops have in recent months increased their visibility in Lawrence Heights, which lies across the street from Yorkdale Shopping Centre and is bordered by Yorkdale Rd. to the north, Dufferin St. to the west, Lawrence Ave. W. to the south and Vanier Dr. to the east.

A Toronto Police hub was established in the community in March with Mayor Olivia Chow, police Chief Myron Demkiw and Deputy Mayor Mike Colle attending the opening, a response to a June 2025 mass shooting that left a 31-year-old, wheelchair-bound man dead and five other people injured.

Meanwhile, anyone with information about Rudifo’s whereabouts or Gordon’s slaying is asked to contact police at 416-808-7400 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-8477 or 222tips.com.

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