The 2023 Hamilton Homicide Victim List is available here
Hamilton police were called to the area at 10:48 p.m. for reports of shots fired on December 29th, at 10:48 p.m near York Blvd and Queen Street.
On arrival, police located Daniel Musafiri, 29, of Hamilton suffering from a gunshot wound. He was transported to hospital and pronounced deceased.
Update January 3rd
Investigators have now determined that Daniel was at Boulevard Billiards before his death. When Daniel exited the establishment he was confronted by a suspect driving a 2022 black Dodge Challenger Hellcat.
The Challenger was last seen traveling South on Queen Street from the parking area of 103 Queen Street North, immediately after the murder occurred. This vehicle has not been recovered.
The suspect is described as:
- Male
- Middle-Eastern appearance
- Fair complexion
- 25-30 years old
- Full, long beard
Investigators also believe a female witness was present and has important information relating to the homicide. Police encourage this individual to come forward. She is described as
- Female
- Black
- 25-30 years old
- Black hair
- Grey Roots tracksuit
- Dark flip-flop sandals
Update March 5th 2026: Hamilton Police Homicide Unit have continued to actively work on the case. While investigating a separate incident, detectives uncovered new information that offered further intelligence connecting a suspect to Daniel’s death. This new lead allowed investigators to expand on the evidence collected during the early stages of the investigation, which ultimately helped them identify a suspect.
As a result of the continued investigation, Erik Kalanyos, a 29-year-old man from Hamilton who was already in custody on an unrelated matter, has now been arrested and charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of Daniel Musafiri.
Update: according to the Hamilton Spectator, three years before the shooting, Erik Kalanyos, had been ordered deported due to past convictions for serious crimes, but he never left Canada because he is a protected person, having come to the country as a refugee from Hungary 25 years ago.
At the time of Musafiri’s death, Kalanyos was on parole for a previous armed robbery and had been evading police for two months. During this period, he allegedly committed human-trafficking offenses. He was arrested in January 2024 and is awaiting sentencing for those charges.
Anyone who has information is asked to contact Detective David Tsuchida at 905-546-4123. To provide information anonymously call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477