2nd person accused of murder in fatal 2024 Toronto stabbing

A 61-year-old man is the second person charged with murder in connection to the fatal stabbing of a Toronto man that took place in south Etobicoke more than a year ago.

Article content

Toronto Police made the announcement late Wednesday night, almost 14 months after another man, Shawn Downs-Abbott, 35, of Toronto, was arrested and charged on Sept. 13, 2025, with second-degree murder in the slaying of Jesse Christian Halvorsen, 36.

Article content

Also charged with second-degree murder is Michael Jones, of no fixed address, who police said was arrested on Wednesday.

Police said the arrests stem from an incident on Sept. 12, 2024, when officers responded to a call at about 6 a.m. in the Lake Shore Blvd.-Islington Ave. area after an “altercation between a group of people outside.”

They said one male was found with life-threatening injuries and transported to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

A second injured male fled from the scene before being found by police the next day and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

At the time, the slaying was Toronto’s 60th homicide of 2024.