A South Carolina college student was fatally shot last August after mistakenly trying to enter the wrong house, according to recently released 911 calls. Nicholas Donofrio, a 20-year-old University of South Carolina student, was shot in the early morning hours of August 26, 2023, when he repeatedly knocked, banged, and kicked at the front door of a house on South Holly Street in Columbia. The incident occurred after Donofrio mistakenly went to the wrong home. Two 911 calls shed light on the events leading up to and immediately following the shooting.
In the first 911 call made around 2 a.m., a woman can be heard reporting that someone is trying to break into her house and that her boyfriend has shot through the door. She expresses urgency for the police to arrive quickly. The woman believes her boyfriend hit the person trying to break in and mentions that the intruder broke through a frosted glass panel on their front door.
Days after the shooting, the Columbia Police Department determined that the shooting was justified under the state’s stand your ground law. Surveillance footage captured Donofrio initially walking past the residence and later banging on the front door. He allegedly broke through a glass window on the door and attempted to unlock it, prompting the male resident to fire a single shot, fatally hitting Donofrio in the chest. Police found Donofrio dead on the front porch.
In another 911 call made around 3 a.m., Donofrio’s friends report him missing after an Uber driver saw him passed out on the front porch but his roommates did not find him at home. Police later determined Donofrio’s death to be a justifiable homicide based on evidence recovered from the scene.
Nicholas Donofrio was described by his family as an intelligent, funny, sincere, and compassionate person who loved sports and worried about others. He was studying exercise science at the University of South Carolina and was a member of the Kappa Phi Sigma fraternity.
The tragic incident has left the Donofrio family devastated, and they express their gratitude for the support they have received from the community. A GoFundMe campaign has been created by members of Donofrio’s fraternity to help cover funeral expenses.
The Columbia Police Department Chief, W.H. “Skip” Holbrook, expressed condolences to the Donofrio family and described the case as heartbreaking. The investigation into the incident has been thorough, and the police have maintained contact with the family throughout.
This article aims to provide an objective account of the events surrounding the shooting, shedding light on the tragedy and its aftermath.
