A sophomore student was fatally shot when he attempted to enter wrong home in an off campus neighborhood on early Saturday morning.
According to the NY Post, Nicholas Anthony Donofrio, 20, was found dead on the front porch of the home once Columbia police officers arrived to scene. Police announced that the college student lived on the same street of the home he tried to enter. “Preliminary information indicates that Donofrio who resided on South Holly Street attempted to enter the wrong home when he was fatally shot,” the statement read. Officers were called to the house around 2 a.m. for the break-in, but a second call reported shots being fired before law enforcement arrived.
RELATED: Ralph Yarl, The Teen Who Was Shot After Accidentally Going To The Wrong House Speaks Out
The University of South Carolina just began classes last Thursday and the school released a statement regarding the shooting. “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.
Police have not revealed who shot Donofrio, or if any charges have been filed in the case as an investigation that “remains active.”
“CPD investigators will continue to consult with the Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s Office regarding the circumstances of the case,” the statement concluded.
Police have not revealed who shot Donofrio, or if any charges have been filed in the case as an investigation that “remains active.”
“CPD investigators will continue to consult with the Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s Office regarding the circumstances of the case,” the statement concluded.
The shooting comes about four months after a similar shooting in Kansas City, Missouri. Ralph Yarl, 17, was shot in the head and arm on the evening of April 13 when he went to the wrong house to pick up his siblings, according to police.
Andrew Lester, the 84-year-old homeowner who shot Yarl, was arrested and charged with one count of felony assault in the first degree and one count of armed criminal action, also a felony. Lester pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released on April 18 on a $200,000 bond.
According to a probable cause statement obtained by ABC News, Lester told police that he “believed someone was attempting to break into the house” and grabbed a gun before going to the door because he was scared. Lester, who is white, claimed that he saw a “Black male approximately 6 feet tall” pulling on the door handle and “shot twice within a few seconds of opening the door.”