Nick Donofrio was a junior at the University of South Carolina who was ambitious, popular, and generally a good kid. Sadly, he died around 2 a.m. on Saturday, August 26 from a gunshot wound to the chest in what was a tragic case of mistaken identity.
- The 20-year-old was heading home to his frat house. The house he lived in was on the same road as another property, which he mistook for his own and tried to enter, NBC News reports.
- The owner of the house called the police to report a burglary. However, as they were on their way to the home in question, they got an updated call saying that a shot had been fired.
- When authorities arrived, they found Donofrio’s body. He was lying dead on the porch of the home in question. The homeowner had shot him believing him to be an intruder.
- The City of Columbia Police Department released a statement following the tragedy. “Columbia Police Department (CPD) officers are investigating the overnight shooting of a 20-year-old male University of South Carolina student from Connecticut. Shortly before 2:00 a.m. today, officers were dispatched to the 500 block of South Holly Street for a reported home burglary. While en route, the emergency call for service was upgraded to a shots fired call. When officers arrived on the scene, they found a deceased male on the front porch with a gunshot wound to the upper body. The Richland County Coroner’s Office has identified the male as Nicholas Anthony Donofrio.”
- The investigation is ongoing. CPD investigators are continuing to work with the Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s Office to find out what exactly happened and how it all went down. At present, no charges have been filed.
- The University of South Carolina released a statement after Nick Donofrio’s death. He was studying Exercise Science and Kinesiology after transferring from the University of New England and was doing well with his studies. “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,” a spokesperson for the university said.
RIP, Nick. Truly a tragic situation.
