A 67-year-old man is currently facing a murder charge after a fatal shooting incident that occurred last week in a North York park, specifically Wenderly Park, located in the area of Marlee and Glengrove avenues. The Toronto police were alerted just before 12:30 p.m. on Thursday after receiving reports of gunfire in the area.

Upon their arrival, law enforcement officials discovered a 47-year-old man, later identified as Daniel Stopnicki from Toronto, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Despite their attempts to perform life-saving measures, he was pronounced dead at the scene, marking a tragic loss for the community.

Authorities quickly apprehended a suspect nearby the crime scene. On Sunday, police announced that the suspect, identified as Michaelo Markicevic, also from Toronto, has been charged with second-degree murder in relation to this incident. As of now, investigators have not disclosed whether Stopnicki and Markicevic had any prior relationship or connection to each other.

The shooting took place alarmingly close to a community gathering, where Toronto police Chief Myron Demkiw was partaking in a prayer walk alongside Mayor Olivia Chow, faith leaders, and local residents on Eglinton Avenue near Allen Road. In light of the tragic shooting occurring so near to this event, Chief Demkiw emphasized the significance of communal efforts to address and curb violence in the city.

“It speaks to the importance of the prayer walk and the importance of us coming together with our communities in a meaningful way to help make sure we are doing everything we can to disrupt and get ahead of some of the violence our communities are seeing," Chief Demkiw stated, reflecting on the responsibility to ensure a safer environment.

This tragic occurrence marks the seventh homicide in Toronto for the year 2026, a worrying increase that calls for urgent attention to community safety and violence prevention strategies.

Files from Meredith Bond were used in this report.