A Toronto drug dealer has been found guilty of second-degree murder for the 2023 shooting death of an innocent bystander, a verdict that brings a measure of justice for a tragedy that shocked the Leslieville community and prompted a review of Ontario's safe consumption sites.
Verdict Rejects Self-Defence Claim
After less than two days of deliberations, a jury convicted Damian Hudson, 34, on Friday, December 19, 2025. Hudson had admitted to firing the stray bullet that killed Karolina Huebner-Makurat, 44, but had pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder, claiming he acted in self-defence. The jury's verdict firmly rejected that argument.
The fatal incident occurred on a July afternoon in 2023. Huebner-Makurat, a senior training manager for Air Canada and a mother of two, was crossing Queen Street East to meet a friend for lunch when she was struck by a bullet fired during a shootout between rival drug dealers.
A Deadly Dispute Over Drug Turf
The court heard that the shooting was the violent culmination of a dispute over territory outside the now-closed South Riverdale Community Health Centre. The area was described as an "open-air drug market" where Hudson sold drugs to users before they entered the supervised consumption site.
Hudson testified that he was lured outside the centre by two other dealers—Ahmed Ibrahim (the "man in grey") and Ahmed Ali (the "man in black")—who jumped him, pistol-whipped him, and robbed him of a satchel containing $1,500 in cash and $3,200 worth of cocaine. He claimed that when one of the men pointed a gun at him, he picked up another pistol from the ground and fired in self-defence.
However, evidence presented by the Crown painted a different picture, suggesting Hudson was bent on revenge after being robbed by new dealers from Scarborough's Teesdale Place who were encroaching on his turf. Text messages revealed threatening exchanges in the days leading up to the shooting.
In one message to a harm reduction worker, Hudson wrote: "If that’s wiz from teasdale I’m smoking him." In another, after being warned about police and cameras, he responded: "I dont care about jail or cameras buddy robbed me…I don’t need to plan ill up it on site anywhere."
Aftermath and Consequences
Ahmed Ibrahim has since pleaded guilty to manslaughter for his role in the robbery that precipitated the shootout. Ahmed Ali remains at large. A harm reduction worker, Khalila Mohammed, pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact for helping Ibrahim escape; she testified for the Crown.
The brazen, daylight killing of an innocent woman sparked public outrage and led the Ontario government to review the province's 17 consumption sites. The Riverdale location, among others situated within 200 metres of a school or daycare, was ultimately shut down.
For the conviction of second-degree murder, Hudson faces an automatic life sentence. Nine jurors recommended he be eligible for parole after 10 years, while two recommended 12 years. A sentencing hearing is expected next year.
The tragedy was captured in part by a cellphone video that, according to trial reports, showed Hudson placing his gun in his waistband and walking calmly away from the scene as Karolina Huebner-Makurat lay dying on the pavement from a gunshot wound to her abdomen.
