A 37-year-old Indian-Canadian man died after being shot by unidentified assailants in the parking lot of a busy shopping centre in Toronto, police said. In a statement issued on Sunday, the Toronto Police Service identified the victim as Chandan Kumar Raja Nandakumar, a resident of Brampton.
Incident at Woodbine shopping centre
According to police, officers responded to a shooting call at around 3:31 p.m. on Saturday in the parking lot of Woodbine Shopping Centre, located at the intersection of Rexdale Boulevard and Highway 27.
When officers arrived at the scene, they found a man suffering from gunshot wounds. He was rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Victim succumbs to injuries
Police said the victim later succumbed to his injuries at the hospital. The suspect or suspects fled the scene in a vehicle.
Nandakumar, who was originally from Karnataka, was an IT professional, police said.
Targeted shooting, say police
The shooting is Toronto’s third homicide of the year. Images from the scene show a white SUV with bullet holes in the windshield and a shattered driver-side window, according to CTV News.
While the circumstances surrounding the shooting remain unclear, police believe the incident was targeted.
“I can understand how a shooting like this, especially at a mall, can cause concern for the safety of the public,” Inspector Errol Watson was quoted as saying by CBC News. He added that officers would be canvassing the area for witnesses, video footage, and other evidence.
At this stage, police believe the shooting was not random. Investigators are still working to determine the number of suspects involved and how many shots were fired.
Violent attacks on Indians in Canada
The killing comes amid concerns over violent attacks on Indians in Canada. According to data shared by the government in Parliament on February 6, 17 Indian students studying in Canada have died due to violent attacks between 2018 and 2025. Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh, in a written reply to a Lok Sabha query by AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi, said Canada recorded the highest number of such deaths during the period, followed by the United States with nine cases.
ALSO READ: Japan PM Sanae Takaichi hails Trump after White House invite: 'Potential of our alliance...'
