Toronto Police Charge Nigerian-Canadian Babatunde Afuwape With First-Degree Murder of University of Toronto Student
Toronto Police have arrested and charged 28-year-old Nigerian-Canadian Babatunde Afuwape in connection with the fatal shooting of Shivank Avasthi, a 20-year-old third-year student at the University of Toronto. The tragic incident occurred on Tuesday, December 23, 2025, along the Highland Creek Trail near Old Kingston Road, where Avasthi was found with a gunshot wound and pronounced dead at the scene.
Police described the killing as planned and deliberate, noting that the accused and the victim were likely strangers. Officers responded to a report of “unknown trouble” around 3:34 p.m., but Afuwape had already fled the scene. The investigation revealed no immediate motive for the shooting, but authorities are actively seeking witnesses who may have seen the suspect near the trail or the campus on that day.
Detective Sergeant Stacey McCabe of the Homicide and Missing Persons Unit called the incident “deeply tragic”, highlighting Avasthi as a bright international student from India with a promising future. She also emphasized the fear and concern the shooting caused among students, staff, and local residents, reassuring the community that the suspect is now in custody.
Afuwape, a resident of Toronto, was scheduled to appear before the Toronto Regional Bail Centre on January 6, 2026. Investigators continue to appeal to the public for additional information to support the ongoing investigation.
This case underscores rising concerns about public safety around urban trails and campus areas in Toronto, and the police have reassured the public of their commitment to solving the crime and preventing further incidents.
Toronto Police have arrested and charged 28-year-old Nigerian-Canadian Babatunde Afuwape in connection with the fatal shooting of Shivank Avasthi, a 20-year-old third-year student at the University of Toronto. The tragic incident occurred on Tuesday, December 23, 2025, along the Highland Creek Trail near Old Kingston Road, where Avasthi was found with a gunshot wound and pronounced dead at the scene.
Police described the killing as planned and deliberate, noting that the accused and the victim were likely strangers. Officers responded to a report of “unknown trouble” around 3:34 p.m., but Afuwape had already fled the scene. The investigation revealed no immediate motive for the shooting, but authorities are actively seeking witnesses who may have seen the suspect near the trail or the campus on that day.
Detective Sergeant Stacey McCabe of the Homicide and Missing Persons Unit called the incident “deeply tragic”, highlighting Avasthi as a bright international student from India with a promising future. She also emphasized the fear and concern the shooting caused among students, staff, and local residents, reassuring the community that the suspect is now in custody.
Afuwape, a resident of Toronto, was scheduled to appear before the Toronto Regional Bail Centre on January 6, 2026. Investigators continue to appeal to the public for additional information to support the ongoing investigation.
This case underscores rising concerns about public safety around urban trails and campus areas in Toronto, and the police have reassured the public of their commitment to solving the crime and preventing further incidents.
Toronto Police Charge Nigerian-Canadian Babatunde Afuwape With First-Degree Murder of University of Toronto Student
Toronto Police have arrested and charged 28-year-old Nigerian-Canadian Babatunde Afuwape in connection with the fatal shooting of Shivank Avasthi, a 20-year-old third-year student at the University of Toronto. The tragic incident occurred on Tuesday, December 23, 2025, along the Highland Creek Trail near Old Kingston Road, where Avasthi was found with a gunshot wound and pronounced dead at the scene.
Police described the killing as planned and deliberate, noting that the accused and the victim were likely strangers. Officers responded to a report of “unknown trouble” around 3:34 p.m., but Afuwape had already fled the scene. The investigation revealed no immediate motive for the shooting, but authorities are actively seeking witnesses who may have seen the suspect near the trail or the campus on that day.
Detective Sergeant Stacey McCabe of the Homicide and Missing Persons Unit called the incident “deeply tragic”, highlighting Avasthi as a bright international student from India with a promising future. She also emphasized the fear and concern the shooting caused among students, staff, and local residents, reassuring the community that the suspect is now in custody.
Afuwape, a resident of Toronto, was scheduled to appear before the Toronto Regional Bail Centre on January 6, 2026. Investigators continue to appeal to the public for additional information to support the ongoing investigation.
This case underscores rising concerns about public safety around urban trails and campus areas in Toronto, and the police have reassured the public of their commitment to solving the crime and preventing further incidents.
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