A 20-year-old Indian student, Shivank Avasthi, was shot dead near the University of Toronto’s Scarborough Campus, and police have appealed to the public for help in identifying and arresting the suspect. Avasthi, a doctoral student, was found with a gunshot wound on Tuesday in what authorities confirmed was Toronto’s 41st homicide of the year.
In an official statement released on Wednesday, Toronto Police said, “On Tuesday, at approximately 3:34 pm, police responded to a call for an unknown trouble in the Highland Creek Trail and Old Kingston Road area. Officers responded to reports of a person with serious injuries. Officers located a male victim with a gunshot wound. The victim was pronounced deceased on scene.” The statement also noted that “the suspect(s) fled the area prior to police arrival.”
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
Investigators have urged anyone with information to contact police at 416-808-7400, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), or through www.222tips.com.
Who was Shivank Awasthi?
India’s Consulate in Toronto described Shivank Avasthi as a young Indian doctoral student of around 20 years old Indian student. He was pursuing higher studies in Canada at the time of his death. His photograph was released by police as part of the investigation.
What happened?
According to Toronto Police, officers were sent to the area around Highland Creek Trail and Old Kingston Road at about 3:34 pm on Tuesday, December 23, 2025, after receiving a call about “unknown trouble”. When they reached the spot, they found a man suffering from a gunshot wound. He was later declared dead at the scene.
India reacts to Shivank Avasthi’s killing
India expressed “deep anguish” over the “tragic” death of Shivank Avasthi. In a post on X, the Consulate General of India in Toronto said it was extending full support 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 statement said.
“The Consulate is in touch with the bereaved family during this difficult time, and is extending all necessary assistance in close coordination with the local authorities,” it added.
Another Indian national killed in Toronto
The incident comes just days after another Indian citizen was killed in Toronto. Last week, 30-year-old Himanshi Khurana was found dead in a residence. Her body was discovered on Saturday, one day after a missing person report was filed in the Strachan Avenue and Wellington Street West area.
Police later issued a warrant for 32-year-old Abdul Ghafoori in connection with her death. He has been charged with first-degree murder and is also a Toronto resident. Investigators said Khurana and Ghafoori were in an “intimate partner relationship”.
The Indian Consulate in Toronto also expressed sorrow over Khurana’s death and said it was providing all possible help to her family.
In a post on X, it said, “We are deeply saddened and shocked by the murder of Himanshi Khurana, a young Indian national, in Toronto. We extend our deepest condolences to her bereaved family during this moment of profound grief. The Consulate has been in close touch with the matter over the past few days, and all possible assistance is being extended to the family in close coordination with local authorities.”
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
