A University of South Carolina student was shot and killed when he apparently tried to enter the wrong house on his off-campus street early Saturday morning, police said.
Nicholas Anthony Donofrio, 20, of Connecticut, had died before officers responded to reports of a burglary and shooting, according to a news release from the Columbia Police Department. Agents found his body on a front porch at around 2:00 a.m. Donofrio had a gunshot wound to the upper body, according to the statement.
Police said preliminary information revealed that Donofrio, a college sophomore, lived on the same street where he was shot, but was apparently trying to break into another home. The shooting occurred in a Columbia neighborhood adjacent to campus.
The statement did not say who shot the student or whether charges have been filed so far. In an email sent Saturday afternoon, a Police Department spokesperson said the investigation "remains ongoing" but gave no further information.
According to the Police Department, its investigators are consulting with the Fifth Circuit Attorney's Office about the circumstances of the incident.
Classes at the university resumed Thursday for the fall semester, The State newspaper reported.
"Our Student Affairs team is providing resources and support to those affected by this tragedy and we remind all of our students that help is always available for them," the university said in a statement.
