Man charged with murder in fatal shooting of international student on U of T campus
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TORONTO – A man has been charged with murder after an international student was killed in what appears to be a randomly targeted shooting on University of Toronto’s Scarborough campus last month, police say.
Toronto police Det. Sgt. Stacey McCabe said officers responded to reports of a person with serious injuries on the Highland Creek Trail on Dec. 23 around 3:30 p.m.
She said officers found 20-year-old Shivank Avasthi, a third-year U of T student from India, who was shot. He was pronounced dead on scene.
“This was a deeply tragic case,” McCabe said Wednesday at a news conference.
“He was young, bright, and had his whole life ahead of him. Our thoughts remain with his family, friends and classmates, and everyone affected by his loss.”
She said the 28-year-old suspect from Toronto was arrested and charged with first-degree murder.
McCabe said police believe the shooting was targeted but the accused and the victim did not know each other.
“It is our belief that this was a planned and deliberate act by the accused, and we have not yet found a motive for why Shivank was targeted,” she said.
“We found no connection between these two … we believe that he was there to kill somebody. How he chose that person, I don’t know.”
She said the accused man was on parole for firearm offences at the time of the shooting and he was arrested for a parole violation on Dec. 28.
The suspect was not a student at the school, University of Toronto president Melanie Woodin said in a statement about the arrest, calling the shooting “a senseless act of violence.”
McCabe said the shooting has impacted the school community because it happened on campus.
“This is a well populated trail. It’s referred to as the valley. There are many trails in there and it’s used by students, staff and members of the surrounding community,” she said.
“We recognize that this incident caused a great deal of fear and concern for students, staff and members of the community, particularly those that use this trail.”
Woodin said the university is offering support to the victim’s family, and mental health resources are available to students and staff affected by his death.
“As members of our community grieve, a book of condolence will be available for our community to express sorrow and share memories of Shivank, and other commemorations will be communicated in the near future,” she wrote.
Police say they would like to speak with anyone who may have been on the trail or on campus on the day of the shooting, and may have seen the accused or interacted with him.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 7, 2026.