A 20-year-old University of South Carolina student was shot and killed in Columbia overnight, the Columbia Police Department reported. Early information suggests that the student, who lived in the neighborhood, was attempting to enter the wrong home during the early hours of the morning, according to police. The student, who was identified as Nicholas Anthony Donofrio by the Richland County Coroner’s Office, was from Connecticut. He was a sophomore at USC, according to a university spokesperson. Officers say that they were responding to a call about a burglary at 2 a.m. on the 500 block of South Holly Street in Rosewood when they received reports of shots fired. When officers arrived, they found Donofrio on the front porch with a gunshot wound to the upper body. “Preliminary information indicates that Donofrio who resided on South Holly Street attempted to enter the wrong home when he was fatally shot,” according to a statement released by investigators.
A police department spokesperson said that the department was consulting with the solicitor’s office about the case. A spokesperson for the University of South Carolina has said that they are aware of the shooting and the investigation by the Columbia Police Department. “Out Student Affairs team is providing resources and support to those who may be affected by this tragedy, and we remind all of our students that help is always available to them.” Classes had just resumed at USC on Thursday.
