diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Core and Builtins/2020-05-08-03-25-26.bpo-40502.e-VCyL.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Core and Builtins/2020-05-08-03-25-26.bpo-40502.e-VCyL.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..b0ea60234634c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Core and Builtins/2020-05-08-03-25-26.bpo-40502.e-VCyL.rst	
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Initialize ``n->n_col_offset``.
+(Patch by Joannah Nanjekye)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/Parser/node.c b/Parser/node.c
index f1b70e0f6815be..8789e01e9b848c 100644
--- a/Parser/node.c
+++ b/Parser/node.c
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ PyNode_New(int type)
     n->n_str = NULL;
     n->n_lineno = 0;
     n->n_end_lineno = 0;
+    n->n_col_offset = 0;
     n->n_end_col_offset = -1;
     n->n_nchildren = 0;
     n->n_child = NULL;