Nick Donofrio’s devastated parents pay tribute to ‘loving’ student son, 20, shot dead after trying to enter the wrong home at 2am – ONE WEEK after they’d helped him move into South Carolina frat house for junior year
- Nicholas Anthony Donofrio, 20, was found dead on the front porch of an off-campus home on South Holly Street
- The street where he was found is located two miles from the university’s main campus
- His parents paid tribute to their ‘loving’ son – who was killed just a week after they moved him in for his third year of college
A University of South Carolina junior was shot and killed when he tried to enter the wrong house on the street he lived on in the early hours of the morning.
Nick Anthony Donofrio, 20, was found dead on the front porch of an off-campus home on South Holly Street. He died from a gunshot wound to his upper body just after 2am on Saturday morning.
Donofrio, who was from Madison, Connecticut, lived in a frat house on the same street as the home he entered on Saturday. His parents paid tribute to their ‘loving’ son – who was killed just a week after they moved him in for his third year of college.
He was studying Kinesiology and Exercise Science at the University of South Carolina – and had previously attended Daniel Hand High School in Madison.
The junior was part of the Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity, and was excited to live with four friends in the frat house this year, according to his devastated parents.
Police were first dispatched to the scene after receiving a call about a burglary – but while they were en route, it was updated to a shots-fired situation.
Nick Donofrio was shot and killed when he tried to enter the wrong house on the street he lived on in the early hours of the morning
Nicholas Anthony Donofrio, 20, was found dead on the front porch of an off-campus home on South Holly Street. He died from a gunshot wound to his upper body just after 2am on Saturday morning
Police were first dispatched to the scene after receiving a call about a burglary – but while they were en route, it was updated to a shots-fired situation
Cops then found the 20-year-old dead on the porch.
The street that he was found is located two miles from the university’s main campus.
No arrests have been made, but police say that the investigation is still ongoing.
His heartbroken parents Dina and Louis Donofrio told News8 that Nick was: ‘A great son, loving, compassionate, all the traits you would want in a son.’
Donofrio was a keen basketball player during his freshman year at the University of New England – before he transferred to the University of South Carolina.
The City of Columbia police department said in a statement: ‘Columbia Police Department (CPD) officers are investigating the overnight shooting of a 20-year-old male University of South Carolina student from Connecticut.
Nick (right) pictured with his older brother, Louie Donofrio, at his high school graduation in 2021. The junior was part of the Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity at the University of South Carolina, and was excited to live with four friends in the frat house this year, according to his devastated parents
Nick Donofrio (center) is pictured with friends. He was studying Kinesiology and Exercise Science at the University of South Carolina
Donofrio was a keen basketball player during his freshman year at the University of New England – before he transferred to the University of South Carolina
The college junior is pictured with his grandfather on his high school graduation
‘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.
‘Preliminary information indicates that Donofrio who resided on South Holly Street attempted to enter the wrong home when he was fatally shot.
‘CPD investigators will continue to consult with the Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s Office regarding the circumstances of the case.’
The University of South Carolina said in a statement: ‘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.’
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