On September 16, 2017, Scout Schultz, a 21-year-old student of the

Georgia Institute of Technology The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...

, was shot once and killed by Tyler Beck, an officer of the Georgia Tech Police Department, a shooting that was later found justified in a formal investigation. Schultz had summoned police to the scene by making a false claim that someone was standing outside their dorm with a knife and a gun. They then stood outside the dorm carrying a multitool. When the police arrived, Schultz walked towards the police, asking them to shoot. The multitool contained a screwdriver and a short blade that was not out, but given the earlier call, the police had reason to believe Schultz had a gun. The incident was followed by protests and civil unrest, which led to multiple arrests. Schultz's parents filed a wrongful death suit. The shooting was investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. In March 2020, it was announced that Tyler Beck would not face charges. In 2018, Scout's shooting led to the creation of a $1,000,000 fund to improve mental health, from which came the Intercollegiate Mental Health Conference, the first student-run national conference on college mental health policy. Through this, a new LGBTQ+ center among other resources have been created.

Background

Scout Schultz was born in

Rockville, Maryland Rockville is a city that serves as the county seat of Montgomery County, Maryland, and is part of the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area. The 2020 census tabulated Rockville's population at 67,117, making it the fifth-largest community in ...

in 1995. They were born with

hypospadias Hypospadias is a common variation in fetal development of the penis in which the urethra does not open from its usual location in the head of the penis. It is the second-most common birth abnormality of the male reproductive system, affecting abou ...

. The Schultz family later moved to

Lilburn, Georgia Lilburn is a city in Gwinnett County, Georgia, Gwinnett County, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States. The population was 14,502 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. The estimated population was 12,810 in 2019. It is a part of t ...

. Scout was a fourth year

computer engineering Computer engineering (CoE or CpE) is a branch of electrical engineering and computer science that integrates several fields of computer science and electronic engineering required to develop computer hardware and software. Computer engineers ...

major at Georgia Institute of Technology, and expected to graduate a semester early according to their father. They were

bisexual Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, whi ...

nonbinary Non-binary and genderqueer are umbrella terms for gender identities that are not solely male or femaleidentities that are outside the gender binary. Non-binary identities fall under the transgender umbrella, since non-binary people typically ...

and

intersex Intersex people are individuals born with any of several sex characteristics including chromosome patterns, gonads, or genitals that, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, "do not fit typical bina ...

and used singular ''they'' pronouns. They were the president of Pride Alliance on campus. Schultz, who suffered from

clinical depression Major depressive disorder (MDD), also known as clinical depression, is a mental disorder characterized by at least two weeks of pervasive low mood, low self-esteem, and loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities. Introdu ...

, had spent time in counseling after attempting suicide by hanging in 2015.

Shooting

Schultz, a 21-year-old student at the

, called

9-1-1 , usually written 911, is an emergency telephone number for the United States, Canada, Mexico, Panama, Palau, Argentina, Philippines, Jordan, as well as the North American Numbering Plan (NANP), one of eight N11 codes. Like other emergency nu ...

on September 16, 2017, around 11:17 p.m. They said there was a suspicious person on campus with a knife and possibly a gun. They gave a description matching their own appearance, saying that the person had long blond hair, a white t-shirt, and blue jeans, and said that the person might be intoxicated. Four police officers approached them outside a

dormitory A dormitory (originated from the Latin word ''dormitorium'', often abbreviated to dorm) is a building primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people such as boarding school, high school, college or university s ...

on campus. They had a multitool, which included a small knife, but no gun. According to the ''

Atlanta Journal-Constitution ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the only major daily newspaper in the metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia. It is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the result of the merger between ...

'', the multitool's blade was not extended. However, given the earlier call and the lack of light, the police had a reason to suspect a gun. Schultz refused to drop the multitool and walked towards the police, with their arms hanging down, while shouting "shoot me!" They were then shot and shortly after were pronounced dead at the Grady Memorial Hospital. The incident was captured on a cell-phone video. Three suicide notes were found in Schultz's dorm room. The police officer who shot them was identified as Tyler Beck. According to the ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'', "Beck was certified by the Georgia Peace Officer and Standards Training Council (POST) but had not undergone Crisis Intervention Training, which trains police on how to handle mentally ill suspects." Shortly after the shooting, Beck was put on paid leave.

Aftermath

Schultz's family attorney, Chris Stewart, said the police overreacted. Stewart said the idea that the death was a "

suicide by cop Suicide by cop or suicide by police is a suicide method in which a suicidal individual deliberately behaves in a threatening manner, with intent to provoke a lethal response from a public safety or law enforcement officer. Overview There are ...

" did not justify what happened. He also said, "The area was secured. There was no one around at risk." Schultz's mother, Lynne Schultz, suggested the police should have used pepper spray or

Tasers A taser is an electroshock weapon used to incapacitate people, allowing them to be approached and handled in an unresisting and thus safe manner. It is sold by Axon, formerly TASER International. It fires two small barbed darts intended to ...

instead of gunning them down. (According to a spokesman, Georgia Tech police are equipped with the former but not the latter.) Scout's father, William Schultz, said at a news conference, "Why did you have to shoot? That's the only question that matters right now. Why did you kill my son?" G. P. "Bud" Peterson, the president of Georgia Tech, said the shooting was a "heart-wrenchingly painful time" for the university. Despite Schultz not finishing senior year, Georgia Tech awarded them a diploma. The shooting was investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. In September 2018, with the investigation still on-going, the parents announced that they had grown frustrated with the lack of criminal charges.Lauren Pozen
Family of tech student killed by campus police to sue university
, ''Wsbtv.com'', 19 September 2018 Schultz's parents filed a wrongful death suit naming the university, Tyler Beck, and the Georgia Board of Regents in September 2019. In March 2020, the county's

district attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a l ...

announced that Beck would not face charges, saying that, according to use-of-force experts, the shooting was justified. In December 2021, Georgia Tech announced a settlement with the family of Schultz for $1 million.

Vigil and Protest

A peaceful vigil for Schultz was held on campus on September 18. Twenty minutes later, about 50 protesters marched through campus while carrying a banner which read "Protect LGBTQ" and chanting "Justice Now". The protest turned violent and a police car was set on fire. Three people were arrested, one of them a Georgia Tech student. They were charged with "inciting a riot and battery of an officer." In the following weeks three more people were arrested for "misdemeanor obstruction of law enforcement." Schultz's parents appealed for calm. On September 22, a teach-in and protest occurred at Georgia Tech, which led to the Student Center building being closed early at 3 p.m.

Legacy and Impact

In 2018, in response to Schultz's death, queer student leaders established the Mental Health Joint Allocations Committee, a $1,000,000 fund to improve campus mental health. These funds have been allocated towards a new LGBTQ+ center,

telemental health Psychotherapy (also psychological therapy, talk therapy, or talking therapy) is the use of psychological methods, particularly when based on regular personal interaction, to help a person change behavior, increase happiness, and overcome prob ...

services, therapeutic biotechnologies, and health systems research. In February 2019, the committee contributed funds to the Intercollegiate Mental Health Conference, the first national student-run research initiative to identify best practices and policies for college mental health. From this data, $300,000 in grant funding was established to improve the mental health of vulnerable populations.

References