

Chris Fox, CP24.com





A man accused of killing his friend after an argument over religion appeared in a North York courtroom Tuesday to face a charge of second-degree murder.

The friends got into a deadly altercation just after midnight Tuesday after sharing some drinks on the front porch of a rooming house on Boake Street near York University.

The victim, identified as 28-year-old Alp Efe, was without vital signs at the scene and was pronounced dead shortly after his arrival at Humber River Hospital.

Police have not confirmed what led to the stabbing, however several witnesses told CP24 that it occurred following an argument over religion.

“Basically you know we are all friends and we were just here chilling. Then two guys had an argument about something,” one neighbor said at the scene. “They ended up verbally abusing each other and then it got to the point where one person left, went to a house, came back and that’s when the guy ended up swinging and stabbing the other man.”

A 31-year-old suspect, identified as Alijan Arif Khan, was arrested hours after the fatal stabbing. Police said the suspect and the victim knew each other.

A man who identified himself as a roommate of the accused described the scene when police arrived at his house on Cook Street, which is located near the murder scene.

"I said ‘well that's not me, that's my roommate, I'll go get him for you’ and then they asked me to step back in my room and then they informed him that he was being arrested for murder two and they read him his rights, asked him if he understood it and he said ‘yeah,’” the man said.

Forensic officers spent the day on scene collecting evidence. As well, police are going door-to-door in the neighbourhood in the hopes that someone may have surveillance camera footage

The suspect is believed to be a student at York University.