Indian international student killed in Toronto 'polite, humble, a sweet child,' father says

Police have identified the victim of Thursday's fatal shooting at Sherbourne subway station as Kartik Vasudev, 21.

Vasudev was an international student from India, according to a tweet from the Indian consulate general in Toronto Friday.

"We are shocked [and] distressed at the unfortunate killing of Indian student Kartik Vasudev in a shooting incident in Toronto yesterday," the consulate said, adding it is in touch with the family.

There's no word on why Vasudev, a first-semester marketing management student at Seneca College, was shot or who was responsible.

Police have made no arrests and have released no information on suspects so far. They're asking any witnesses to come forward.

'Why was my son the target?'

The victim's father, Jitesh Vasudev, speaking from India, said the family is "heartbroken" during a phone interview with CBC News Friday evening.

"What can you feel? We've lost our young child over there," he said. "My son was polite, humble, a sweet child. Why was my son the target?"

He said his son arrived in Canada on Jan. 5, after five years of planning his career and a new life here, and that Vasudev was headed to his part-time job when he was shot. 

"He was simply going to work," he said, wondering why anyone would shoot his son. 

"We want to know; it's our right to know. We've lost our son."

Toronto police were called about the shooting around 5 p.m. Thursday. Officers arrived to find Vasudev with "multiple gunshot wounds." He was rushed to hospital where he died.

Gaurav Vasdev, the victim's cousin, took to Twitter after hearing the news.

"My cousin brother Kartik Vasudev was shot dead at a subway station in Toronto yesterday," he wrote. "We still don't know what happened."

Seneca College said it was "saddened to hear of the tragic death."

"Our thoughts are with Mr. Vasudev's family, friends and classmates. Counselling support is being made available to students and employees."