Shooting Of CT College Student 'Justifiable,' Police Say

MADISON, CT — The fatal shooting of a 20-year-old from Madison attending college in South Carolina has been deemed "justifiable" as he was apparently mistaken for a burglar, police in Columbia, South Carolina said in a news release Wednesday.

The shooting occurred shortly before 2 a.m. Saturday, when police say 20-year-old Nicholas Anthony Donofrio was shot to death after accidentally going to the wrong home in Columbia and attempting to enter by "repeatedly knocking, banging, and kicking at the front door while manipulating the door handle."

As Donofrio kicked the door, a woman resident called the police while a male resident retrieved a gun, police said. After Donofrio broke the door's glass window, the man shot Donofrio in the upper body through the broken window, according to police. Donofrio died on the home's front porch.

Police said they determined that the homeowner, whose name will not be released, owned the gun legally and had it for self-protection. They are still waiting on toxicology reports from the corner for information on Donofrio's impairment.

Donofrio's parents told WTNH News 8 that their son was "a great son, loving, compassionate, all the traits you would want in a son." He was also a Daniel Hand High School graduate and a sports star, News 8 reported.

"This is a heartbreaking case for all involved. Our lead investigator has diligently worked to gather all the facts surrounding this incident," Chief W.H. 'Skip' Holbrook wrote in Wednesday's news release. "He has also maintained contact with the Donofrio family throughout the investigation. We at the Columbia Police Department extend our deepest condolences for their immeasurable loss."

Donofrio's fraternity, Phi Kappa Sigma, started a GoFundMe to establish a scholarship in his honor at the University of South Carolina and Madison's Daniel Hand High School.

Phi Kappa Sigma wrote on the GoFundMe that Donofrio followed in his big brother's footsteps and joined the fraternity in the Fall of 2022.

“Nick was fun, charismatic, energetic and a true gentleman of honor,” Phi Kappa Sigma wrote. “While his time with us was short, he made a significant difference in the lives of all of us and everyone he knew.”

The Nicholas Anthony Donofrio GoFundMe has a goal of $250,000 and has raised nearly $121,000 as of Thursday morning.