BENGALURU: A 37-year-old Indian-origin software professional from Karnataka was shot dead in a suspected targeted attack at the parking lot of a busy shopping mall in Toronto on Friday.
The victim, Chandan Kumar Raja Nandakumar, was a resident of Brampton in the Greater Toronto Area and hailed from Thyamagondlu village near Nelamangala in Bengaluru Rural district.
Back home, Chandan’s parents were struggling to cope with the sudden loss of their only son. “We had spoken to him recently. He said he would take leave and come home this summer. We were planning his marriage. We are completely shattered,” his father, Nandakumar, said.
Police have not made any arrests so far. The Toronto Police Service has launched a homicide investigation and is treating the incident as a targeted attack. While some relatives believe Chandan’s efforts to form a Kannada association in Toronto may have played a role, investigators have not indicated any motive.
A computer science graduate from Sapthagiri College in Bengaluru, Chandan moved to Canada about six years ago. He was working with LTI Mindtree, a subsidiary of Larsen & Toubro, and had earlier been employed with Cognizant in Bengaluru.
The killing has sent shockwaves through the Indian diaspora in Canada. It is Toronto’s third homicide this year and has sparked grief and outrage among Kannadigas both abroad and in Karnataka.
Family members said Chandan had repeatedly postponed his return to India. “If he had listened to us and come back, he would be with us today,” his father said.
According to police, Chandan was seated inside his SUV when attackers opened fire near the entrance of the Woodbine Shopping Centre, close to Rexdale Boulevard, at around 3.30 pm (local time). Officers rushed to the scene after receiving reports of gunfire and found him with multiple bullet wounds. He was taken to hospital with critical injuries but later succumbed.
Visuals from the site showed his white vehicle riddled with bullet holes, reinforcing investigators’ belief that the attack was premeditated. The suspects reportedly fled in another vehicle.
TPS Inspector Errol Watson said the shooting had raised serious public safety concerns. “An incident like this, especially at a mall, naturally causes fear among the public,” he said.
Condemning the incident, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara said the state government had sought assistance from the Ministry of External Affairs to bring back Chandan’s body. Chikkaballapura MP K Sudhakar said he was coordinating with authorities to facilitate the repatriation.
Friends recalled Chandan as an active member of Toronto’s Kannada community, involved in promoting regional films, music, and cultural events.
His uncle, Murali Krishna, expressed anguish over the tragedy. “He had built a stable life abroad and worked hard. He was the only son. We still don’t understand why this happened,” he said.
Investigations are ongoing.
