20-Year-Old Indian Student Shot Dead In Canada; Second Such Case This Month

A 20-year-old Indian Student, Shivan Avasthti, was shot dead near the University of Toronto’s Scarborough Campus, with police seeking the public’s help to arrest the accused. Shivank, a doctoral student, was found with a gunshot wound on Tuesday.

The police called it Toronto’s 41st homicide case this year. As per the police official, a phonecall was received at 3:34 pm, regarding an unknown trouble in the Highland Creek Trail and Old Kingston Road area. Later, officers located a male victim with a gunshot wound, who was pronounced dead on the scene.

The accused has not been identified yet, and the police are investigating the crime. Anyone with information was asked to contact police at 416-808-7400, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), or at www.222tips.com.

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India’s response

India has expressed ‘deep anguish’ over the ‘tragic’ death of Shivank Avasthi. In a statement on X, the Consulate General of India in Toronto said to provide assistance to his family.

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

Last week, a 30-year-old Indian woman, Himanshi Khurana, was murdered in Toronto. The police issued a warrant for 32-year-old Abdul Ghafoori, the suspect, for first-degree murder. Ghafoori is also a resident of Toronto. Both were reported, to be in an ‘intimate partner relationship’.