ATLANTA -- The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said that the Georgia Tech student who was shot and killed by campus police over the weekend had called 911 and left numerous suicide notes before the incident.
Scout Schultz was shot and killed outside an 8th Street dorm on the Georgia Tech campus Saturday night by a Georgia Tech police officer after officers responded to a 911 call about a person with a knife and gun.
On Monday, the GBI said that it had been determined that Schultz made the 911 call to Georgia Tech police alerting them of a suspicious person on campus. In the call, according to the GBI, Schultz described the person as a "White male, with long blonde hair, white t-shirt and blue jeans who is possibly intoxicated, holding a knife and possibly armed with a gun on his hip."
Around 11:17 p.m., officers arrived and made contact with Schultz, who they said was armed with a knife. The officers said that Schultz would not comply with their commands. When Schultz continued to advance, an officer fired one shot, striking Schultz.
Schultz was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital and pronounced dead.
The GBI said that three suicide notes were found in Schultz's dorm room.
A multi-purpose tool containing a knife was recovered from the scene, investigators said. No firearms were found at the scene.
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Schultz was a fourth-year computer engineering student and president of Georgia Tech's Pride Alliance.
Schultz's parents have questioned the officer's use of lethal force. They've hired attorney L. Chris Stewart to represent them.
In a Monday afternoon news conference, Stewart said the family is planning to file a civil lawsuit in connection with the case soon.
After the GBI's findings were released, Stewart issued a statement saying,
"It's tragic that as Scout was battling mental health issues that pushed them to the edge of desperation, their life was taken with a bullet rather than saved with non-lethal force.
The GBI confirmed to the family the existence of three notes written by Scout but most importantly the GBI also confirmed that the multi-purpose tool in Scouts's possession did not have the blade out.
The family now wonders where the narrative came from that Scout was wielding a knife and was a danger to the officers.
Scout was holding a closed multi-purpose tool, with their arms to their side and simply walking, struggling for their life.
Their cry for help was met with a bullet."
