COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA: A college student who lost his life after being fatally shot has been remembered fondly by his parents.

The parents of Nicholas Anthony Donofrio, also known as Nick, have shared, as reported by the Daily Mail, “A great son, loving, compassionate, all the traits you would want in a son.”

How did Nicholas Anthony Donofrio die?

It has been said that the 20-year-old victim suffered a critical injury to his upper body after a shot was fired at him as he tried to enter the wrong house on South Holly Street.

The incident happened around 2 am on Saturday, August 26.

A statement by the City of Columbia Police Department said, “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,” it noted.

Police also added that “CPD investigators will continue to consult with the Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s Office regarding the circumstances of the case.”

Nicholas Anthony Donofrio was an ‘engaging, charismatic young man’

Meanwhile, the tragedy has left Nicholas’ family as well as known ones devastated.

The young man from Madison, Connecticut, was a student of Kinesiology and Exercise Science at the University of South Carolina. Before joining college, Nicholas was a student at Daniel Hand High School.

He also used to play basketball, his coach Jimmy Economopoulos said. He told CT Insider, “It’s heartbreaking.”

“He was just a smart, engaging, charismatic young man. … It wasn’t the phone call I was expecting to get yesterday, that’s for sure,” Economopoulos added.

Kate Reynolds, who lives near the house where Nicholas was gunned down, has expressed her grief.

She told News19, “It's not how you want to start college and something traumatic.”

“You're going to have those memories of your friend. The whole experience is kind of tainted with that, too,” she added.

Besides, a statement from the University of South Carolina read, “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.”