Police say University of South Carolina student fatally shot while trying to enter wrong home

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A University of South Carolina student was shot and killed as he apparently tried to enter the wrong home on his off-campus street early on Saturday, police said.

Nicholas Anthony Donofrio, 20, of Connecticut, was dead by the time police responded to reports of a home burglary and shooting, according to a Columbia Police Department news release. Officers found his body on a front porch around 2 a.m., and Donofrio had a gunshot wound to his upper body, the release said.

Police said preliminary information indicated that Donofrio, a sophomore, lived on the same street as where he was shot but apparently was attempting to enter another home. The shooting occurred in a Columbia neighborhood adjacent to the campus.

#ColumbiaPDSC officers continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the fatal shooting of a local college student. Please see the news release w/additional information. https://t.co/ave69oN8bw pic.twitter.com/W0da20EQ97

— Columbia Police Dept (@ColumbiaPDSC) August 26, 2023

The statement didn’t say who shot the student or whether any charges were immediately filed. In an email on Saturday afternoon, a department spokesperson said the investigation “remains active” but didn’t release more information.

The police department said its investigators are consulting with the Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s Office on the circumstances of the shooting.

Classes at the university had resumed for the fall semester on Thursday, The State newspaper reported.

“Our 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,” the university said in a statement.