A 27-year-old Toronto man who turned himself in to police over the weekend made his first court appearance on Monday to face a first-degree murder charge in connection to Toronto's first homicide of 2011.
Police were called to the area of Queen Street West and Portland Street after two men were stabbed in an alley shortly after midnight on Saturday.
Brian Takahashi, 20, was rushed to the hospital but died of his injuries. Police say that the victim and a group of friends were standing outside a nightclub after midnight during New Year's celebrations when three people approached.
One of them was allegedly holding a video camera, and Takahashi's group was asked about their resolutions for 2011.
A verbal altercation broke out and the suspect left the area. Police say he returned alone an hour later and stabbed the victim and his friend.
Brother Mark Takahashi said that a trivial argument quickly spiraled into a life-changing moment.
When asked how he was handling the loss of his brother, Mark Takahashi replied: "Mainly just disbelief; the fact that something so trivial could turn into something so life-altering."
Takahashi's friend Ethan Sarfeld said that the incident had quickly spiraled out of control. He said Takahashi had been stabbed in the heart and friend Brandyn Nagel was also critically injured during the incident.
Luke Heath has been charged with one count of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder.
He is expected to return to court via video on January 25.
With files from The Canadian Press and CTV Toronto's Janice Golding
