A brazen daylight attack at the parking lot of a busy shopping mall in Toronto on Saturday. The victim has been identified as Chandan Kumar Raja Nandakumar, a resident of Brampton in the Greater Toronto Area and a native of Thyamagondlu village near Nelamangala in Bengaluru Rural district.
The killing has sent shockwaves through the Indian diaspora in Canada, particularly among Kannadigas. Toronto Police have launched a homicide investigation, treating the incident as a “targeted” attack, though no arrests have been made so far.
Chandan, a computer science graduate from Sapthagiri College in Bengaluru, had moved to Canada around six years ago and was working with LTI Mindtree, a subsidiary of Larsen & Toubro. He had earlier worked with Cognizant in Bengaluru, according to Times of India report.
Parents in Karnataka Grieve Loss of Only Son
In Thyamagondlu, around 47 km from Bengaluru, Chandan’s parents were struggling to come to terms with the loss of their only child.
“We spoke to him last Friday. He said he would take leave and come home this summer. We were planning his marriage. We are completely shattered,” his father, Nandakumar, said.
Family members said Chandan had repeatedly postponed his return to India. “Had he listened to us and returned, he would have been with us now,” his father added.
Shot Inside SUV, Police Probe ‘Targeted’ Killing
According to the Toronto Police Service (TPS), the shooting occurred around 3.30 pm local time near the entrance of Woodbine Shopping Centre, close to Rexdale Boulevard. Chandan was seated inside his SUV when the attackers opened fire.
Police officers rushed to the spot after receiving reports of a shooting and found him with multiple gunshot wounds. He was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries but later succumbed, family members told The Times of India, quoting TPS.
Visuals from the scene showed Chandan’s white SUV riddled with bullet holes. The suspects fled the area in a vehicle. TPS Inspector Errol Watson said the incident had raised public safety concerns, noting that a shooting at a busy mall would naturally alarm the public.
No Motive Known, Kannada Community in Shock
Some relatives have speculated that Chandan’s efforts to form a Kannada association in Toronto may have played a role in the killing, though police have not indicated any motive so far.
The incident marks Toronto’s third homicide this year and has triggered grief and outrage among Kannadigas in both Canada and Karnataka. Friends said Chandan was actively involved in Kannada cultural circles, promoting films, music and community events.
Condoling the death, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara said the state government was disturbed by the incident and that the police had sought assistance from the Ministry of External Affairs to bring back the body. Chikkaballapura MP Dr K Sudhakar said he was coordinating with MEA authorities to facilitate repatriation.
Chandan’s uncle, Murali Krishna, said the family was unable to understand the motive behind the killing. “He built a stable life abroad and was working hard. He was the only son. We don’t know why this happened,” he said.
