The homeowner who fatally shot 20-year-old Nicholas Donofrio will not face charges due to the state's "castle doctrine" law, Columbia Police announced Wednesday.

The homeowner who fatally shot a 20-year-old University of South Carolina student who tried to enter the wrong home on the street he lived on Saturday morning will not face charges because the incident was deemed “a justifiable homicide” under state law, Columbia police announced Wednesday.

Police said the identity of the homeowner who fired the gunshot that killed Nicholas Donofrio shortly before 2 a.m. Saturday will not be released because the police department and the Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s Office determined his actions were justified under the state’s controversial “castle doctrine” law, which holds that people can act in self-defense towards “intruders and attackers without fear of prosecution or civil action for acting in defense of themselves and others.”

  • some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org
    259·
    1 year ago

    While the woman was on the phone with police, Donofrio broke a glass window on the front door “and reached inside to manipulate the doorknob,” at which point the male resident fired the shot through the broken window, striking Donofrio in his upper body, police said.

    The headline made me instantly rage (as intended). Reading the article made me reconsider. The real answer is to not have guns in the hands of the public. But then only criminals will have guns. Stfu.

    • Reddit_Is_Trash@reddthat.com
      117·
      1 year ago

      If the public wasn’t allowed to have guns and this guy did turn out to be a home invader, what would you say then?

      • currycourier@lemmy.world
        72·
        1 year ago

        I remember reading that statistically it isuch more likely that you kill a friend or family member with a gun than a home invader while trying to defend you’re home. Instead of worrying about hypothetical ‘what ifs’ that are very unlikely to happen maybe we should stay anchored in reality.

        • SheeEttin@lemmy.worldEnglish
          4·
          1 year ago

          I think I heard on the radio that the homeowner was an old man, so I doubt he’d be capable of using a baseball bat against a college athlete. But I can’t find an article that says anything about his age.

        • ArcaneSlime@lemmy.dbzer0.com
          51·
          1 year ago

          So, you don’t want to kill them with a gun, you’d rather get up close and personal and bludgeon their face until they’re unrecognizable? Baseball bats are a deadly threat too, go attack someone with one and watch how fast you get an AWDW charge.

    • Zednix@lemmy.world
      85·
      1 year ago

      Look at that 100%justified use. If only it legal to defend yourself where I live like this. That would be great.