A theatre professor, whose husband is fighting cancer, tragically lost her life when her roommate mistook her for an intruder in their Georgia home on Monday night, according to local authorities.
Erica Anderson, 41, a lecturer at Columbus State University, was shot at her residence in Columbus, GA., as confirmed by Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan in a report to WTVM.
Joining the Department of Theatre & Dance this fall, she was a lecturer in costume design and managed the costume shop, as highlighted in a GoFundMe set up by her family.
Anderson returned home around midnight after visiting her husband and children in Indiana, where she was renting a room with an unidentified roommate.
The roommate had been on edge, receiving numerous terroristic threats from her son, including threats to harm her and set her house ablaze, Bryan reported.
Upon hearing the door open late at night, the roommate grabbed her gun and stepped into the hallway.
She fired once but missed before fatally wounding Anderson with a subsequent shot, according to Bryan.
The incident was swiftly classified as an accidental death.
“You must consider the roommate who did the shooting. I can only imagine her devastation under such circumstances,” Bryan remarked to the outlet.
Stuart Rayfield, President of Columbus State University, issued a heartfelt statement honoring Anderson’s impactful contributions during her brief time at the university and throughout her accomplished career in theatre.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends, along with the students she influenced,” Rayfield expressed.
Prior to her role at CSU, Anderson was a costume design lecturer at Southern Utah University and the University of Florida, in addition to her work with theaters and opera houses nationwide, such as Sarasota Opera and Indiana Repertory Theatre, as reported by the university.
She is survived by her husband, currently receiving cancer treatment, and their three children, as noted in the fundraising campaign.
