Toronto: A 20-year-old Indian PhD student has been shot dead near the University of Toronto's Scarborough campus and authorities are investigating the case as a homicide. According to a report by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the shooting took place on Tuesday and Toronto police on Wednesday identified the deceased as Shivank Awasthi.
Duty Inspector Jeff Ellington said that police received a report of an injured person lying on the ground in the area of ??Highland Creek Trail and Old Kingston Road at around 3:30 pm on Tuesday. When officers arrived, they found a man with a gunshot wound, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said the suspect had fled the area before police arrived and no arrests have been made at this time. The Indian Consulate in Toronto has expressed "deep sorrow" over the "tragic death" of the young student in a post on X and said that the Consulate is in touch with the bereaved family and is providing all possible assistance in coordination with local authorities. The university administration has also expressed deep sorrow over the incident and has issued a security alert.