Nicholas Donofrio: 911 calls released in deadly shooting of 'highly intoxicated' South Carolina student mistaken for intruder

COLUMBIA, UNITED STATES: In August 2023, a junior at the University of South Carolina lost his life in Columbia when he attempted to enter a property while intoxicated. 

This incident instilled fear among the homeowners and raised concerns among Nicholas Donofrio's friends who were unable to reach him after a night at the bar.

Recently, authorities disclosed two 911 calls made on that fateful night – one from a concerned friend of Donofrio and the other from the homeowner.

What happened to Nicholas Donofrio?

According to DailyMail.com, two 911 calls have unveiled the events leading up to and following the fatal shooting of Nicholas Donofrio as he attempted to enter the wrong house.

To provide context, Donofrio, a University of South Carolina student at the time, resided in a frat house on the same street where the incident occurred. 

Notably, he was 'highly intoxicated' during his attempt to enter the wrong house.

In one of the 911 calls, the homeowner can be heard informing the operator, "Hi, somebody’s trying to break into our house. They are trying to break into the front door, they are banging on it. They just broke the window, my boyfriend just shot through the door."

The operator heard a loud bang in the background as the resident's partner fired a shot. Meanwhile, the woman continued crying and informed the operator that the person, later identified as Donofrio, had broken a glass panel on the door.

Nicholas Donofrio, aged 20, had been socializing with friends at The Loose Cockaboose, a sports bar across from the USC football stadium. He was later placed into an Uber and driven back to the area near his off-campus home in Columbia.

Further details about Donofrio's death have surfaced through the investigation.

During the call, the operator asked the woman who had made the call if she could 'peek out' and check if anyone was lying on the porch.

She mentioned that the frosted glass on the front door obstructed her view, and her porch camera didn't provide a clear angle. Her boyfriend eventually confirmed that a man was on the ground. Police arrived less than five minutes after she made the call.

In another 911 call made the same night, Donofrio's friend Will Graves told the operator, "I put a friend of mine in an Uber and we haven't heard from him in hours."

The friend said that the Uber driver saw Donofrio "passed out on the front porch", but his roommates did not see him at home.

No charges were filed against the person who shot Donofrio as the person legally owned the firearm and was covered by South Carolina's 'Stand Your Ground' law.

What did Nicholas Donofrio’s mother say?

After the heartbreaking loss of Nicholas Donofrio, his parents expressed their deep pride in Nick, describing him as the kind of son every parent would wish for.

Dina and Louis, his parents, conveyed in a statement, "Nick was funny, smart, compassionate, and loved life. We will miss him immeasurably."

Dina stated that the entire family, including his older brother Louie, is devastated by Donofrio's death.

The heartbroken mother Dina added, “He was such a happy kid, always smiling, he loved life he loved to have fun." Dina concluded, “I think he would not want people to be sad, I think he would hate how much we’re all hurting."