A shooting inside a residence on 17th Avenue in Columbus over night was determined to be a tragic accident. 31-year-old Erica Blascom Anderson died as a result of the shooting October 13th, 2025.
Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan said there are specific details that allowed him and the Columbus Police Department to determine the shooting was accidental. Bryan said Anderson was here from Indiana working as a Professor at Columbus State University.
CSU President Stuart Rayfield provided the following statement upon request: “We are deeply saddened to hear about the death of one of our professors, Erica Anderson, who was new this semester to our faculty, joining the Department of Theatre & Dance this fall as a lecturer in costume as well as the Costume Shop supervisor. Our hearts and prayers go out to her family and friends, as well as the students she impacted. While we mourn her passing, our team is also ensuring her students and colleagues are aware of all the university support resources available to them.”
