Family of Georgia Tech shooting victim demanding answers

ATLANTA — Update: Parents of Scout held a news conference Monday where they asked the Georgia Tech police why they had to kill their child.

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The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is handling the case of an officer-involved shooting that happened on the campus of Georgia Tech.

According to the GBI, the Georgia Tech Police Department responded to a 911 call about a person with a knife and gun in the area of Eighth Street on the campus at about 11 p.m. Saturday.

Officers arrived and found Scott Schultz, 21, armed with a knife outside a Georgia Tech dormitory.

Schultz was not cooperative and would not comply with officers' commands to drop the knife, the GBI said. They said Schultz approached the officers, despite continuous commands.

The GBI said that is when one of the officers shot Schultz.

Schultz was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital and later died, the GBI said.

Schultz's family is speaking about the incident at a law firm in Atlanta Monday.

Georgia Tech released a statement Sunday morning, saying Schultz was a four-year computer engineering student from Lilburn.

Schultz was a leader in the LGBT pride community on campus was known as "Scout." The student-activist served as the president of the Pride Alliance on Georgia Tech's campus. Schultz's profile on the Pride Alliance website states "I'm bisexual, non-binary and intersex," adding "they" and "their" as the appropriate pronouns to address Schultz instead of "he" or "she." The profile also states Schultz enjoyed playing the role-playing game "Dungeons and Dragons" and is politically active.

In a statement from the Pride Alliance's board, Schultz is remembered as a driving force behind the group.

As you might have heard, last night we lost our President, Scout Schultz. We are all deeply saddened by what has occurred. They have been the driving force behind Pride Alliance for the past two years. They pushed us to do more events and a larger variety events, and we would not be the organization we are known as without their constant hard work and dedication. Their leadership allowed us to create change across campus and in the Atlanta community. Scout always reminded us to think critically about the intersection of identities and how a multitude of factors play into one's experience on Tech's campus and beyond.

We love you Scout and we will continue to push for change.

With love,
Pride Alliance

A vigil will be held to honor Schultz's life at 8 p.m. Monday at the Georgia Tech Campanile.

In an exclusive interview with our partners at the Atlanta-Journal Constitution, Scout's mother Lynne says her oldest child was active in progressive causes and was a brilliant student despite having medical problems.

She told the paper, "(Scout) suffered from depression and attempted suicide two years ago."

Channel 2 Action News was at the scene when the knife Schultz was suspected of holding was still on the ground.

It appeared to be a metal, flip-open, multitool knife that would likely include a small blade.

"I mean things happen off campus, but it's kind of shaking for it to happen right so close to home," one student said.

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Several of the students nearby did see the incident, and two who recorded it on their cellphones shared video of the incident with Channel 2 Action News.

One video shows the tense moments as Georgia Tech police officers confront what looks like a barefooted person holding something in their right hand.

The person yells at police to shoot.

"Shoot me!” they yell.

Police yell back: “Drop the knife! Drop the knife!"

Officers can be heard repeating the command more than a dozen times.

"Nobody wants to hurt you man. Drop the knife," an officer says.

Another angle from further away shows three officers in front and another off to Schultz's left, at the entrance to Curran parking deck.

It pans away to show another officer walking up from behind as you hear only one gunshot.

Channel 2 Action News has chosen, both on-air and online, to not to show the moment of the shooting.

The video does show Schultz walking forward, toward police slowly, with hands still at his side when one of the officers fired.

Students received an emergency alert from the university shortly after the shooting.

The school tweeted around 11:30 p.m. for everyone to seek shelter in a secure location. About 20 minutes later, the school sent another tweet saying there was no longer a threat to campus.

Schultz's family attorney confirmed to Channel 2's Nefertiti Jaquez he is currently conducting his own investigation into exactly what happened during the shooting.

The attorney is expected to address the media on Monday morning.

Cox Media Group