COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) — One week after 41-year-old Erica Bascom Anderson was shot and killed inside her Lakebottom-area home, family and friends are remembering the new Columbus State University professor as a creative and devoted mother of three.
According to Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan, Anderson was accidentally shot by her roommate early Monday morning after the roommate mistook her for an intruder. Police responded to the home on 17th Avenue shortly after midnight. The Columbus Police Department's Violent Crimes Unit is leading the ongoing investigation.
In Indianapolis, where Erica's husband Andy Anderson and their two young sons live, neighbors have rallied around the family. Andy, who recently underwent surgery in his battle with cancer, said Erica was "the heart" of their home.
"Erica was a beautiful life partner and the mother of my two boys," he said. "She brought a lot of joy to our lives."
Friends describe Erica as deeply creative, someone who turned art into connection. Keri Dattilo, a friend and neighbor, said Anderson often organized community art projects and taught neighborhood children.
"She was this bright light every time she walked into a room," Dattilo said. "She created an art camp for our kids and inspired my daughter to paint."
Anderson had recently returned to Columbus from Indianapolis, where she had been visiting her husband and children. She had been preparing for an upcoming CSU production and, friends say, was excited about building the costume program for students.
After the tragedy, Indianapolis neighbors Ben and Betsy James traveled to Columbus to help collect Erica's belongings and meet with detectives. They say the trip was both difficult but necessary.
"Andy called me Monday morning and said, 'I've got to tell my kids that Erica just got killed. Can you come help me do that?'" Ben James recalled. "It just felt like somebody needed to come down here and represent the family locally. To put some faces and real people on this family that's spoken out to that's far away connected to this incident."
The Anderson family and their neighbors have launched a GoFundMe to help with expenses while Andy recovers and cares for the couple's children.
"They're going down to, one family income, and he's still recovering," Betsy James said. "They're dealing with lots of change. If we can just continue to love on them as neighbors, they already know. I think that'll go a long way to help the family."
For Andy, the memory of his last goodbye with Erica is one he says he'll carry forever.
"She turned back and said, 'I love you,'" he said. "It was such a beautiful moment. I'll cherish it for the rest of my life."
As the investigation continues, those who knew Erica say their focus is on celebrating her life
"She really wanted to bring joy to the world," Andy said. "And she did so through what she knew best, the arts, and her family."
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