The Consulate General of India in Toronto on Thursday expressed anguish over the killing of Shivank Avasthi, an Indian doctoral student, in a shooting near the University of Toronto Scarborough campus.
“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 said in a statement posted on X. “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.”
Police said Avasthi was shot on Tuesday in the Highland Creek Trail and Old Kingston Road area. Officers arrived to find him suffering from a gunshot wound and pronounced him dead at the scene.
Investigators said the suspects fled before police arrived. The campus was briefly locked down as officers searched the area. The killing marked Toronto’s 41st homicide this year.
The shooting came days after another violent case involving an Indian national in the city. Toronto police said a 30-year-old Indian-origin woman, Himanshi Khurana, was found murdered. Police are searching for Abdul Ghafoori, also of Toronto, in connection with the murder.
Police said the case appears to involve “intimate partner violence”, according to CBC News. In a post on X, India’s Consulate in Toronto said it is assisting Himanshi Khurana’s family.
“We are deeply saddened and shocked by the murder of Ms Himanshi Khurana, a young Indian national, in Toronto,” it said. “We extend our deepest condolences to her bereaved family during this moment of profound grief.”
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