Arrest Made After Mother of Two Killed on Toronto Street by Stray Bullet

Accused suspect was on probation, has a lengthy criminal history

Passersby stop at a makeshift memorial at the place where a mother of two, Karolina Huebner-Makurat, was killed by a stray bullet, in Toronto on July 10, 2023. The Canadian Press/Chris Young

Police have made an arrest in the death of Karolina Huebner-Makurat, a 44-year-old mother of two young girls, who was killed by a stray bullet on July 7 while walking down the sidewalk at lunchtime in east end Toronto.

Toronto Police Service (TPS) announced that it has have arrested Damian Hudson, 32, of Toronto and charged him with second-degree murder. In a news release on July 13, TPS said Mr. Hudson was scheduled to appear in court for a bail hearing on that day, and that they were still seeking two unidentified suspects.

A 32-year-old man has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder over the death of a woman who was killed by a stray bullet during a shooting in Toronto's east end on July 7, 2023. Police say 44-year-old Karolina Huebner-Makurat, shown in this undated handout photo, was killed while walking in the Leslieville neighbourhood in Toronto. The Canadian Press/HO - Toronto Police Service

“Caroline was an innocent bystander who succumbed to her gunshot injuries as a result of a stray bullet at the corner of Queen St. East and Carlaw Ave. on Friday afternoon, July 7, 2023,” said a GoFundMe fundraiser set up on July 8 by friends of the family to support the woman’s grieving husband Adrian Makurat and her children.

According to a July 8 news release, the TPS received a call about a shooting in the Queen Street East and Carlaw Avenue area on July 7 at 12:22 p.m. local time.

The police said it was reported that a physical altercation had occurred between three males and “two of the males brandished handguns and discharged them at each other.”

Mrs. Huebner-Makurat was struck by a stray bullet and was transported to hospital but did not survive her injuries, the news release said, noting that the suspects fled the area on foot and were still being sought.

Police have confirmed that Mr. Hudson was out on bail when the shooting occurred. Court documents obtained by The Epoch Times indicate Mr. Hudson has an extensive criminal history.

Previous Convictions

In 2019, Mr. Hudson pled not guilty to charges of attempted murder, aggravated assault, and dangerous weapons. On April 30, 2018, Mr. Hudson was accused of stabbing another man in the chest with a sharp object, which caused a rupture to the lower chamber of the victim’s heart, and then running away.

The victim, Narooshan Jude, suffered a full cardiac arrest and an “anoxic brain injury.” After being stabbed with the sharp object, likely a knife, Mr. Jude was without oxygen for 45 minutes.

“He was considered dead at the scene, but was revived at the hospital. He was in a coma for 3-4 weeks. Because his heart valves were damaged, he had to undergo extensive open-heart surgery. He was hospitalized for over 2 months. He spent the majority of the first year in a rehabilitation centre,” said Justice Lawrence Feldman of the Ontario Court of Justice on Aug. 8, 2019.

Mr. Jude is now cognitively and functionally impaired for life, noted the justice.

Extensive Record

During sentencing, Justice Feldman covered Mr. Hudson’s already extensive record. He was charged with obstructing a peace officer in the Youth Justice Court in 2007 and sentenced to 18 months probation.

He was also charged in 2007 with multiple counts of failing to comply with court orders and received 18 months probation on each of those charges concurrent.

Also in 2007, he was found guilty of robbery and failing to comply with conditions, again by the Youth Justice Court, and put under community supervision for a number of months, and another 18 months probation.

In 2008, Mr. Hudson was convicted of robbery and disguise with intent and received about nine months of community supervision and an additional 18 months probation. In 2010, he was again charged with two counts of robbery.

In 2011, Mr. Hudson was charged with assault with a weapon, pointing a firearm at someone, possession of a firearm or ammunition despite a weapons ban, and failing to comply with his probation order. For this, he was sentenced to one year in jail and three years probation.

He faced drug charges in 2013 and was charged with uttering threats in 2014. He was charged with drug crimes again in 2015, as well as failing to comply with probation orders and assaulting a peace officer. He was sentenced to 30 days in jail. Most of the drug sentences resulted in one-day jail terms.

In 2017, he was charged with break and enter, possession of property obtained by crime under $5000, more drug charges, and failure to comply with probation. He received more probation.

‘Repeat Offender’

“Mr. Hudson is a repeat offender, who has committed assaults, robberies and firearms offences, although the majority of his acts of violence were committed in his earlier years. It is of concern that his response to community supervision has been poor. It is aggravating that at the time of these offences, he was on two probation orders,” said Justice Feldman.

“It is disturbing that he was subject to two Weapons Prohibition Orders, the latter in 2011 for life,” added the judge, noting Mr. Hudson “had challenges growing up.”

“He was severely impacted by the loss [of] his father when he was 9. He suffers from ADHD and has learning disabilities. He was placed in special education classes, but did not go far in school. His employment has been sporadic. He has more recently been addicted to crack cocaine and smokes marihuana daily. He says he stopped using crack in 2018,” said the judge.

Mr. Hudson survived being shot five times by unknown assailants in 2015 and was diagnosed with “classic symptoms of PTSD, including flashbacks, nightmares, hpervigilance and avoidance of stimuli that trigger memories of his shooting.” He was also diagnosed with major depressive disorder, for which he is prescribed medication, the judge said.

“In the confrontation on April 30, matters heated up quickly and the defendant struck one blow in response to Mr. Jude’s verbal aggression,” said the justice. “It is possible he intended to stab his victim in the ‘cardiac box’ area, but of this on the evidence, I am unsure. Mr. Hudson will be acquitted of attempt murder.”

Mr. Hudson was ultimately found guilty of “aggravated assault and possession of a weapon for a purpose dangerous to the public peace.” Justice Feldman said he had reasonable doubt that Mr. Hudson intended to kill Mr. Jude.

“I acknowledge his effort to better himself and grapple with his demons. I believe he has the potential to reform with professional help and family support,” said Justice Feldman.