A man who was a former police officer in Collingwood and an executive at York University has been charged with second-degree murder following a shooting incident in North York last week, as confirmed by CBC News. Michaelo Markicevic, aged 67, was taken into custody on April 30 after Toronto police responded to a shooting report in the vicinity of Marlee Avenue and Glengrove Avenue W. around 1 p.m.
The victim, identified as Daniel Stopnicki, 47, of Toronto, was found by the police with multiple gunshot wounds, which appeared to be head injuries, according to Toronto police Insp. Peter Wallace. This incident marked the seventh homicide in the city in 2026.
Markicevic previously served as a police officer with the now-defunct Collingwood Police Service, according to a statement from the Ontario Provincial Police. It was mentioned that Markicevic left the Collingwood Police Service in the mid-1990s and did not transition to the OPP when they merged in the late 1990s.
Reports from the Sun Times, a local newspaper based in Owen Sound, revealed that Markicevic faced several assault charges during his time with the Collingwood police in the early 1990s. One of the incidents involved charges of threatening and causing bodily harm to his mother, which were later dismissed after she did not appear in court. Another case saw Markicevic acquitted by a jury for assault and obstruction of justice after allegedly assaulting a man and intimidating a witness.
Public records reviewed by CBC News indicated that Markicevic held a position as an assistant vice-president of campus service and business operations at York University in the early 2000s. The university filed a lawsuit against Markicevic and others for defrauding the institution through various schemes that resulted in damages exceeding one million dollars.
In a separate case, Markicevic was charged with fraud over $5,000 and laundering proceeds of crime, but those charges were dropped in 2013. Markicevic is scheduled to appear in court again on Thursday.
Daniel Stopnicki, the victim of the shooting, was described as a respected member of Sheridan College’s advisory committee for its game development program. Raymond Trimm, a former student of Stopnicki at Seneca College, shared that Stopnicki was a kind individual who was dedicated to helping his students succeed. Trimm expressed sorrow over the tragic circumstances surrounding Stopnicki’s death.