Bengaluru Engineer Shot Dead in Toronto Mall Parking Lot: Police Suspect Targeted Attack
37-year-old LTI Mindtree employee Chandan Kumar gunned down in broad daylight at Woodbine Shopping Centre; Toronto Police launch homicide investigation as family awaits answers
TORONTO/BENGALURU – A 37-year-old software engineer from Karnataka was fatally shot in what Toronto Police have described as a targeted attack at a busy shopping mall parking lot on Saturday afternoon, sending shockwaves through the Indian diaspora in Canada.
Chandan Kumar Raja Nandakumar was inside his SUV when assailants attacked him near the entrance to Woodbine Shopping Centre, near Rexdale Boulevard. Officers responding to reports of gunfire at approximately 3:31 pm discovered the victim with multiple gunshot wounds. Despite being rushed to hospital, he succumbed to his injuries.
Crime scene images revealed a white SUV with bullet holes in the windshield and a shattered driver-side window, indicating the victim was shot while seated in his vehicle. The incident marks Toronto’s third homicide of 2026.
Originally from Thyamagondlu village near Nelamangala in Bengaluru Rural district, Chandan had been living in Canada for six years. A computer science graduate from Sapthagiri College, Bengaluru, he was working with LTI Mindtree after previously being employed with Cognizant in Bengaluru.
Speaking with media, Chandan’s father Nandakumar, a retired school teacher, expressed devastation over the loss. The family had spoken with Chandan just days before the shooting, during which he mentioned plans to visit home this summer. “We were planning to get him married soon. We are completely shattered,” his father said.
The motive behind the shooting remains unclear, though some family members have suggested his involvement in Kannada community activities in Toronto may have played a role. However, authorities have not confirmed any connection.
Inspector Errol Watson of the Toronto Police Service has appealed to the public for assistance. “We are working to determine the circumstances surrounding the shooting and identify the individuals responsible. We urge anyone with information to come forward and help us bring justice to the victim and his family,” he stated.
Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara has sought intervention from India’s Ministry of External Affairs to facilitate the repatriation of Chandan’s body. “We are disturbed by the incident. We have lost a Kannadiga,” he said.
The killing comes amid growing concerns about violence targeting Indian-origin individuals in Canada. Just weeks ago, another Indian-origin man was killed in a targeted shooting in Burnaby, British Columbia.
Toronto Police are urging anyone with information, dashcam footage, or surveillance video from the Woodbine Shopping Centre area to contact investigators as the homicide investigation continues.
