SRINAGAR: A 20-year-old Indian doctoral student was shot dead near the University of Toronto’s Scarborough campus Canada, prompting police to appeal to the public for information to identify and arrest the suspect, media reports said.
News Release – Homicide Investigation, Highland Creek Trail and Old Kingston Road, Victim: Shivank Avasthi, 20, Image Releasedhttps://t.co/WdkKqp4pGe pic.twitter.com/XF6NAYJwgX
— Toronto Police (@TorontoPolice) December 24, 2025
The victim, identified as Shivank Avasthi, was found with a gunshot wound on Tuesday in what police described as Toronto’s 41st homicide of the year. Officers were called to the Highland Creek Trail and Old Kingston Road area at about 3.34 pm after reports of an injured person. On arrival, they located a male victim suffering from a gunshot injury, who was pronounced dead at the scene, police said in a statement issued on Wednesday.
Police said the suspect or suspects had fled the area before officers arrived. Investigators have urged anyone with information to contact Toronto Police or provide tips anonymously through Crime Stoppers.
India expressed “deep anguish” over the killing. In a post on X, the Consulate General of India in Toronto said it was extending all necessary assistance to Avasthi’s family and was in close coordination with local authorities during the investigation.
We express deep anguish over the tragic death of a young Indian doctoral student, Mr. Shivank Avasthi, in a fatal shooting incident near the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus. The Consulate is in touch with the bereaved family during this difficult time, and is extending…
— IndiainToronto (@IndiainToronto) December 25, 2025
The killing comes just days after another Indian national, 30-year-old Himanshi Khurana, was murdered in Toronto. Police said Khurana’s body was found at a residence on Saturday, a day after a missing person report was filed from the Strachan Avenue and Wellington Street West area.
Toronto Police have issued a warrant for 32-year-old Abdul Ghafoori, a Toronto resident, charging him with first-degree murder in connection with Khurana’s death. Police said the two were reportedly in an intimate partner relationship.
The Indian Consulate in Toronto has also expressed shock over Khurana’s killing, saying it remains in touch with her family and is providing all possible assistance in coordination with Canadian authorities.
