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
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    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
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      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
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        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.