Authorities in Toronto have officially charged 28-year-old Babatunde Afuwape with first-degree murder following the tragic shooting of an international student on the University of Toronto’s Scarborough campus. The victim, 20-year-old Shivank Avasthi, was a third-year student from India who was gunned down late last month in what police are describing as a cold and calculated act of violence.
Investigators believe the attack was entirely unprovoked. Detective Sergeant Stacey McCabe informed reporters that while the shooting appeared to be planned and deliberate, there was no established link between the suspect and the victim. It appears Afuwape, a dual US-Nigerian citizen who was out on parole for prior firearm offenses, had been loitering on the campus for about an hour before the incident, seemingly looking for a target.
The tragedy unfolded on the afternoon of December 23, 2025, along the Highland Creek Trail, a path frequently used by students and locals. Avasthi was found with a fatal gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene, marking a somber milestone as the city’s 41st homicide of the year. Although police have recovered a firearm and have the suspect in custody, they are still urging anyone who was on the trail that day to come forward with any information that might help clarify the suspect’s ultimate motives.
In the wake of the killing, the university community has been hit by a wave of grief and anxiety. Shivank Avasthi is being remembered by those who knew him as a selfless and deeply supportive friend. His teammates from the university’s cheerleading and powerlifting clubs described him as a beacon of positivity who always looked out for others. One close friend, Caitlin Whittier, shared touching memories of how Avasthi would walk her home late at night to ensure her safety a bittersweet irony given the nature of his passing.
While the arrest of Afuwape on December 28 has provided some sense of relief, the random nature of the crime has left many students and faculty members shaken. Police leadership has tried to reassure the public that the immediate threat has been neutralized, but the investigation remains active as they piece together the suspect’s movements leading up to the shooting. For now, the campus community is focused on honoring the memory of a young man whose life was cut short just as he was preparing for his final years of study.
