The Consulate General of India in Toronto has expressed "deep anguish" following the fatal shooting of 20-year-old Shivank Avasthi, an Indian international student who was gunned down near the University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC) campus. The incident, which occurred on Tuesday afternoon, marks Toronto's 41st homicide of 2025.
According to the Toronto Police Service, officers responded to reports of "unknown trouble" at approximately 3:34 PM in the area of Highland Creek Trail and Old Kingston Road—a wooded area frequently used by students. Upon arrival, emergency responders found Avasthi suffering from a gunshot wound. Despite immediate medical attention, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Shivank Avasthi was a third-year Life Sciences student and an active member of the UTSC cheerleading team. His teammates and friends described him as a positive influence who brought smiles to everyone's faces. The university was briefly placed under a shelter-in-place order as a precaution while the initial search for suspects began, though the order was lifted later that evening.
The Indian Consulate has confirmed it is in close contact with Avasthi’s family to provide all necessary assistance, including the repatriation of his remains. Meanwhile, Toronto's Homicide Unit is leading the investigation. While police believe the shooting was an isolated incident, no suspect descriptions have been released, and the attacker remains at large. The community has raised concerns regarding campus security, particularly in the valley area where the shooting took place.
