Missing University of Maryland Student Dilan Shaan Ashar Found Safe

Dilan Shaan Ashar Located After Days-Long Campus Search

Dilan Shaan Ashar, a 22-year-old University of Maryland student missing since Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, has been safely located and reunited with his family.

Surveillance Footrage Near Terrapin Trail Garage

The student was last captured on surveillance footage around 2:30 a.m. ET on Oct. 2 near the Terrapin Trail Garage on the north side of the campus. The parking structure sits adjacent to athletic facilities, backing up against a university facilities management zone and a wooded area. His family stated he did not have his cellphone, wallet, or identification with him when he disappeared.

https://x.com/UMPD/status/2108003756075782287

Drones and Community Alerts Drive the Investigation

Investigators executed a methodical search covering approximately 110 acres surrounding the parking structure. UMPD officers deployed drones to scan local wooded terrain and the university golf course. Routine patrols also swept parking facilities, Lake Artemesia, and nearby parks. On Oct. 6, campus police released updated surveillance photographs and a video message from Ashar’s mother, Binita Ashar, who made an emotional public plea for his return. In the recorded video message shared by campus police, his mother said, Dilan, we love you so much and we hope you are safe. We want you home, while asking residents to check their doorbell, vehicle, and business surveillance cameras for possible sightings. During the search, Binita Ashar had previously sought the public’s help to find her missing son, saying in a Facebook post, Our son Dilan Ashar is missing, and we need your help. She also added, Please share this post, especially with anyone in College Park, Greenbelt, Hyattsville, or the UMD community. Instead of messaging us, the best thing you can do is share it. We are grateful for every share, and directly addressed him by stating, Dilan, if you see this, we love you so much. You are not in trouble, and you don’t need to explain anything. We just want you home. Call or text us anytime, day or night.

Ashar Returns Safely to Relatives

Police confirmed that Ashar was found safe and has since been reunited with his relatives.

Missing University of Maryland Student Dilan Shaan Ashar Found Safe — Photo: yahoo.com

While campus authorities confirmed the student’s safe return in an update on Oct. 7, officials did not immediately release specific details regarding his precise location when found or his condition. The successful conclusion of the search brings closure to an intensive week of campus-wide vigilance and coordinated police operations just outside Washington, D.C.