Protests at Georgia Tech turn violent after shooting death of student

Violent protests erupted Monday evening at the Georgia Tech campus after a vigil was held for a student who was fatally shot by campus police Saturday, according to The Associated Press.

In a tweet, the university advised students to shelter in place.

Three people were arrested during the protests, according to the AP.

Why was a student killed?

According to the AP, Scout Schultz, 21, a senior at Georgia Tech and president of the school’s Pride Alliance, was fatally shot Saturday after calling 911 to report a suspicious person. When police responded to the call, Schultz reportedly approached officers with a knife and refused their commands to put it down. Schultz was shot and killed.

According to the report, Schultz's parents said police overreacted. Their attorney described the item in Schultz’s hand during the incident as a multipurpose tool and said its blade was not out.

Schultz reportedly had a history of mental illness and authorities discovered three suicide notes in the student’s dorm room.

How did the protest turn violent?

A spokesperson for Georgia Tech told the AP that following a peaceful vigil for Schultz on Monday, about 50 protesters marched to the campus police department.

During the march, two officers suffered minor injuries, one went to a hospital for treatment. The spokesperson said police “restored order relatively quickly.” The report said three people were arrested and charged with “inciting a riot and battery of an officer.”

A call for peace

In a statement provided to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Schultz’s parents said, “We ask that those who wish to protest Scout's death do so peacefully.”

“Answering violence with violence is not the answer,” they said. “Our goal is to work diligently to make positive change at Georgia Tech in an effort to ensure a safer campus for all students. This is how we will truly honor Scout's life and legacy.”