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

The shooting occurred on Tuesday near Highland Creek Trail and Old Kingston Road. Toronto police on Wednesday identified the victim as Shivank Avasthi, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

Police were alerted at around 3:30 pm after receiving a report of an injured person lying on the ground, Duty Inspector Jeff Allington told reporters near the scene on Tuesday night.

“When officers arrived, they found a person with a gunshot wound. That person was pronounced dead at the scene,” the report said.

Police said the suspect fled the area before officers arrived, and no suspect description has been released so far. The case is being treated 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 am able to share with you tonight,” Allington said.

India’s Consulate in Toronto expressed “deep anguish” over the student’s death and said it was assisting the family.

“We express deep anguish 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 X.

A spokesperson for the University of Toronto Scarborough campus (UTSC) said the institution was “extremely saddened” by the death near the campus, but did not confirm whether Avasthi was a student.

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

“We are grateful to our Campus Safety team, Toronto Police Service and emergency medical service personnel for their immediate response and action.”

UTSC issued a safety alert advising anyone inside campus buildings to remain indoors and those outside to leave the area. In a social media post, the university said the police investigation was ongoing in the Highland Creek Valley, adding that pathways into the valley remain closed and people should avoid the area until police reopen it.

The incident comes weeks after the murder of an Indian-origin woman in Toronto, which is also under active police investigation.

Thirty-year-old Himanshi Khurana, a Toronto resident, was found murdered, prompting police to issue a Canada-wide arrest warrant for a suspect they say was known to the victim.

Police are searching for Abdul Ghafoori (32), also of Toronto, who is wanted on a charge of first-degree murder. Investigators said the case appears to involve “intimate partner violence,” according to CBC News and CP24.

Toronto Police said officers were first alerted late Friday night after receiving a missing person report. “On Friday, December 19, 2025, at approximately 10:41 pm, police responded to a call for a Missing Person in the Strachan Avenue and Wellington Street West area,” police said.

The investigation continued overnight. “On Saturday, December 20, 2025, at approximately 6:30 am, officers located the missing female deceased inside a residence,” police said, adding that the death was deemed a homicide. The police Homicide Unit subsequently took over the investigation.

Authorities said Khurana and Ghafoori knew each other prior to her death and believe they were in an intimate partner relationship. If convicted, the charge could carry a life sentence without parole if premeditation and intent are proven in court.

Police have released images of the suspect and appealed for public assistance.

“We have released an image of the suspect, and that is out there, and we’re appealing to the public, if anybody would happen to know where this man is to please call police,” a police spokesperson said.

The Consulate General of India in Toronto said it is assisting Khurana’s family.

“We are deeply saddened and shocked by the murder of Ms Himanshi Khurana, a young Indian national, in Toronto. We extend our deepest condolences to her bereaved family during this moment of profound grief,” the consulate said in a post on X, adding that it has been in close contact with local authorities and that “all possible assistance is being extended to the family.”

Police have urged anyone with information about the suspect’s whereabouts or either investigation to contact them immediately.