5 Things To Know About Scout Schultz: Georgia Tech Student Killed By Police Officer

ATLANTA, GA — Many on the campus of the Georgia Institute of Technology are in mourning after the weekend fatal shooting of one of their own. Authorities said Sunday that Scout Schultz, president of the Pride Alliance on campus, was shot to death by a police officer after the 21-year-old refused to put down a knife. Questions swirl around the use of deadly force at the university, which may be the first such incident at Georgia Tech, and Schultz's mother says police should not have fired at her child.

Read more: Vigil for Scout Shultz descends into chaos; cop car burned

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation opened an independent investigation of the shooting and said that it will hand the results over to the Fulton County District Attorney's Office. Video has emerged that reportedly shows Schultz telling police "Shoot me" while walking toward officers. (Get Patch's Daily Newsletter and Real Time News Alerts. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app.)

Read more: Knife-wielding Georgia Tech student shot to death on campus

As more information becomes available about the incident, a clearer picture of Schultz is emerging. Here are five things we've learned.

Schultz was a fourth-year computer engineering major from the Gwinnett County city of Lilburn. The student reportedly identified as intersex and was born Scott Schultz.

Shultz was a member of the GT Progressive Student Alliance on campus

"We are distraught over the loss of Scout Schultz," the organization said in a statement posted to Facebook. "They were an incredible, inspirational member of our community and a constant fighter for human rights." Supporters lit candles Sunday at the spot where Schultz was killed.

Shultz was the president of a group called the Pride Alliance

"As you might have heard, last night we lost our President, Scout Schultz," the Pride Alliance said in a statement posted to Facebook. "We are all deeply saddened by what has occurred. They have been the driving force behind Pride Alliance for the past two years." The group says it is an LGBTQ organization at Georgia Tech, open to all students, faculty and alumni who seek to create a campus environment that is safe and accepting, and also fun and enjoyable, for the LGBTQ student population and its allies.

Schultz suffered from depression, according to the student's mother

Schultz's mother told local media that the student attempted suicide two years ago. Still, she said, Schultz should be alive today. “Why didn’t they use some nonlethal force, like pepper spray or Tasers?” Lynne Schultz told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

A lawyer for the family believes Schultz was having a 'mental breakdown'

An attorney for the victim's family said that campus police did not have to gun Schultz down. “I think (Scout) was having a mental breakdown and didn’t know what to do,” lawyer Chris Stewart told the newspaper. “The area was secured. There was no one around at risk.”

Stewart says the blade on the pocket knife that Schultz carried was not open, and they never ran toward police.

There are several videos of the shooting

Cellphone videos from different angles give a composite picture of the shooting. Investigators said when officers arrived, they encountered Schultz, who was armed with a knife. Officers issued a number of verbal commands, but Schultz wasn't listening and "would not comply" with the officers’ commands, authorities said.

Read more: 'Scout should not have been shot': Family seeks answers

A cellphone video of the incident posted online shows officers yelling, "Drop the knife! Drop the knife!" several times before firing. In one of the videos, Schultz appears to say "shoot me" to one of the officers.

Schultz was killed Saturday before midnight at 532 Eighth Street N.W. Atlanta, outside a Tech dormitory, GBI spokeswoman Nelly Miles said.

Immediately after the shooting, Schultz was rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital, where the student was pronounced dead.

A vigil is planned for 8 p.m. Monday at the Georgia Tech Campanile to commemorate the life of Schultz, according to a Facebook post.

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Image via GT Progressive Student Alliance