Today marks the year anniversary of the shooting death of Georgia Tech student Scout Schultz by a campus police officer.
The 21-year-old student died after calling 911 to report "a suspicious person on campus" .... 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," according to the GBI.
The only weapon Schultz carried was a multipurpose tool that included a small blade, which was not extended. There was no gun. A video of the incident -- which unfolded in view of Tech dorms -- shows Schultz responding to police entreaties with "Shoot me!", ignoring commands to stand in place, and moving toward the campus officers, one of whom then fired.
In an AJC story today that includes an interview with Schultz's father, AJC reporters Eric Stirgus and Christian Boone note: "It's unclear whether the confrontation with campus police, orchestrated by Scout, was tantamount to a suicide attempt."
Here is an excerpt from the AJC story:
Before dying, Scout had grown increasingly frustrated by a perceived lack of respect afforded Tech's Pride Alliance, Bill Schultz said. Scout had been elected president of the diverse group, dedicated to inclusion and social justice, earlier in 2017.
Scout Schultz had previously sought counseling off-campus for mental health issues and had long suffered from depression.
The shooting death galvanized critics who felt Tech had not offered enough mental health services and inadequately supported LGBTQIA students.
Georgia Tech President G.P. "Bud" Peterson appointed teams to come up with ways to improve mental health services and better support LGBTQIA students under an initiative called "A Path Forward."
There were 180 recommendations. More than 50 suggestions are in the works or have been completed, such as the expansion of Tech's LGBTQIA Resource Center, which was derided as way too small to adequately serve students. Peterson last year created a fund for donors to contribute money for student mental health and wellness initiatives and quickly received a $1 million contribution.
Among those who contend Georgia Tech must do more to ensure a safer and more supportive environment are members of the Young Democratic Socialists of America at Georgia Tech, which sent me this statement on the anniversary of Scout Schultz’s death:
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