Who Was Shivank Avasthi? 20-Year-Old Indian Student Shot Dead In Canada

Shivank Avasathi was a doctoral student at the University of Toronto’s Scarborough campus (UTSC). He was reportedly in the third year of his advanced studies.

Shivank Avashthi, a 20-year-old Indian student,

was shot dead near the University of Toronto Scarborough campus in Canada. Authorities said they received a call about an injured person lying on the ground near Highland Creek Trail and Old Kingston Road at about 3:30 PM (local time) on Tuesday.

When officers arrived, they found Avasthi with a gunshot wound, and he was declared dead at the scene. The police are probing the case as a homicide.

“Our immediate focus is on preserving evidence at the scene, determining what happened and notifying this individual’s next of kin,” Duty Inspector Jeff Allington told the media.

Who Was Shivank Avasthi? 20-Year-Old Indian Student Shot Dead In CanadaAvasthi was a doctoral student at the University of Toronto’s Scarborough campus (UTSC). He was reportedly in the third year of his advanced studies.

Shivank Avashthi, a 20-year-old Indian student, was shot dead near the University of Toronto Scarborough campus in Canada. Authorities said they received a call about an injured person lying on the ground near Highland Creek Trail and Old Kingston Road at about 3:30 PM (local time) on Tuesday.

When officers arrived, they found Avasthi with a gunshot wound, and he was declared dead at the scene. The police are probing the case as a homicide.

“Our immediate focus is on preserving evidence at the scene, determining what happened and notifying this person’s next of kin,” Duty Inspector Jeff Allington told the media.

Toronto police say the suspect fled the area before police arrived. No suspect description has been released.

Indian student, 20, shot dead near Toronto University, accused on the run

Who Was Shivank Avasthi

Canada Avasathi was a doctoral student at the University of Toronto’s Scarborough campus (UTSC). He was reportedly in the third year of his advanced studies. He also was a member of the UTSC Cheerleading team.

The UTSC Cheerleading team condoled his death and said he “lit up practice and brought up everyone’s spirits with his encouragement and support.”

We are deeply saddened and in shock by the sudden loss of a beloved Maroon, Shivank Avasthi,” the team’s official account wrote in a Facebook post.

Canada “He brought a smile to anyone’s face when you talked with him, and as a team, we were so lucky to have him. Rest easy, Shivank. UTSC Cheerleading will always love you, and you will always be a part of our family, in our hearts forever,” the post added.

UTSC’s Response

An UTSC spokeswoman also said the university was “extremely saddened” to learn about the death near their campus, CP24 Television Network reported.

“We cannot comment on the identity of the victim at this time,” the spokesman said in a statement Wednesday evening.

“We are thankful to our Campus Safety team, Canada Toronto Police Service and emergency medical service personnel for their immediate response and action.” The University of Toronto Scarborough campus (UTSC) issued a safety alert advising anyone in a building to stay inside and anyone outdoors to leave the area.

In a social media post, the school said the police investigation is in the Highland Creek Valley at utsc. It said pathways into the valley remain closed, and people are advised to avoid the valley until police reopen it.

India’s Condolences

Meanwhile, India’s embassy in Toronto expressed “deep anguish” over the student’s “tragic death”.

“We express deep agony over the tragic death of a young Indian doctoral student, 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 all necessary assistance in close coordination with the local authorities,” the Consulate posted on

A 20-year-old Indian doctoral student has been shot dead near the University of Toronto Scarborough campus, with authorities investigating the case as a homicide, officials said.

The shooting took place on Tuesday (December 23, 2025), and the Toronto police on Wednesday identified the victim as Shivank Avashthi, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported.

Police were called to the area of Highland Creek Trail and Old Kingston Road at about 3:30 pm on Tuesday for a report of an injured person lying on the ground, Duty. Inspector Jeff Allington told reporters near the scene on Tuesday night.

When authorities arrived, they found a person with a gunshot wound. That person was pronounced dead at the scene, the report added.

The police are probing the case as a homicide.

“Our immediate focus is on preserving evidence at the scene, determining what happened and notifying this individual’s next of kin. Because of that, there is very little information that I is able to share with you tonight,” Mr. Allington said.

Consulate expresses anguish
Meanwhile, India’s Consulate in Canada Toronto expressed “deep agony” over the student’s “tragic death”.

“We express deep agony over the tragic death of a young Indian doctoral student, 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 all necessary assistance in close coordination with the local authorities,” the Consulate posted on

Two Indian nationals were found murdered in Canada within a span of two weeks, triggering concern amongst the Indian community, although police say the circumstances surrounding the two deaths are not linked.

The latest incident involved the lethal shooting of Indian doctoral student Shivank Avasthi near the University of Toronto’s Scarborough campus, while the earlier case involved the killing of an Indian woman, Himanshi Khurana, in what police suspect was an incident of intimate partner violence.

Indian doctoral student shot dead near Toronto campus

Toronto Police said on Tuesday that an Indian doctoral student, identified as Shivank Avasathi, was killed in a shooting in the Highland Creek Trail and Old Kingston Road area, close to the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus.

Police said they rushed to the spot after receiving information regarding the shooting and found the victim with a gunshot wound. He was declared dead at the scene, the Canada Toronto Sun reported. Officials said the suspects fled before police arrived, and the campus was locked down during the investigation.

According to the Toronto Sun, the killing marked Toronto’s 41st murder of the year, and was the second death of an Indian due to a crime in the city in a matter of days.

The Consulate General of India in Toronto said it was in contact with the victim’s family and was providing assistance.

“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 General of India in Canada’s Toronto said in a statement on X.

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