A Columbus State University professor died early Monday morning in what the coroner has ruled an accidental shooting at a home near Lakebottom Park.

What It Means For You: The university is offering support services to students and staff affected by the loss of their teacher.

What Happened: Police responded to a home on 17th Street just after midnight Monday. The coroner identified the victim as Erica Blascom Anderson, who taught in the theater department.

  • The shooting involved two women who knew each other
  • According to police, Anderson was shot by her roommate who thought she was an intruder.
  • The coroner worked with police to determine the death was accidental

About the Victim: Anderson had just started at Columbus State this fall. She taught costume design and ran the costume shop for the Department of Theatre and Dance.

What’s Next: The Columbus Police Department Violent Crimes Unit continues to investigate the circumstances of the shooting.

The Sources: Columbus Police Department, Muscogee County Coroner, Columbus State University President Dr. Stuart Eddings Rayfield.

Publisher at  – btclark@thegeorgiasun.com

B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.