By: Summer Wilson '26
A 20-year-old South Carolina college student fatally shot as a result of attempting to enter the wrong home has been deemed a justifiable homicide South Carolina police stated on August 30.
Following a consultation with the Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s Office, the Columbia Police Department ruled not to file charges against the homeowner who killed University of South Carolina student Nicholas Donofrio, 20, of Madison, Connecticut.
The state's Stand Your Ground law allows the residents to protect themselves and their property with firearms.
Police have stated they ruled Donofrio's death a justifiable homicide under the Protection of Persons and Property Act followed by evidence recovered from the scene including surveillance video, audio evidence, and witness statements.
“Although it’s definitely a tragic case, the police were right to not press charges. Both the homeowner and Donofrio made mistakes that led to the accident, and the blame shouldn't fall on either party,” NHS sophomore Claire DiNoto said.
Allegedly Donofrio broke a glass window on the front door and attempted to unlock the door through the window. At that point, the male resident fired a single shot and fatally injured the 20-year-old in the chest.
Investigators found that the man who shot Donofrio “was not prohibited from possessing a firearm and he legally owned the firearm for the purpose of personal and home protection,” according to police. Similar to Connecticut, South Carolina acknowledges what is to be known as “castle doctrine,” signifying that a person does not have to retreat before using lethal force to defend themselves or others in their home.
The shooting occurred at two in the morning on August 26 while Donofrio mistakenly went to the wrong home located on the 500 block of South Holly Street in Colombia. Donofrio attempted to enter by repeatedly knocking, banging, and kicking at the front door while manipulating the door handle, police announced in a press release. His family and police have said he also resided in a nearby home on South Holly Street at the time.
Police received a 911 call with a female resident addressing a home invasion while a male resident went to retrieve a legal firearm.
According to the police, toxicology reports were ordered to determine Donofrio’s “type and level of impairment,”
Police are not releasing the identity of the homeowner or the woman who spoke to an emergency dispatcher at this time.
Donofrio graduated from Daniel Hand High School in 2021 and then attended the University of New England before transferring to the University of South Carolina in 2022, his older brother Louie's alma mater, his family said. He was taking courses in exercise science and kinesiology when he died. Phi Kappa Sigma, his fraternity, has started a GoFundMe campaign to establish Scholarships in his memory.
“Nicholas Donofrio’s homicide was completely justifiable involving numerous factors. Even while many would say that Donofrio, at the age of 20, hasn't had much life experience, his brain had essentially matured by this point, and regardless of his mental state, he was plainly aware of his aggressive conduct in this particular case,” NHS sophomore Jiavanna Yanni said.
“He not only dangerously beat up the front door to try to get inside, but also damaged a window that wasn't even on his property. To make matters worse, nobody will be conscious of the true reason Donofrio needed to open that individual's door with such urgency.”
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