The parents of a Georgia Tech student fatally shot by campus police Saturday night are demanding to know what led up to the deadly incident.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Chris Stewart, the attorney for the slain student’s parents, announced Monday morning that they plan to file a civil lawsuit against the university. Stewart accused campus police of overreacting and criticized the college for characterizing Scout Shultz, 21, as a “knife-wielding” threat to police.

“Why did you have to shoot?” the slain student’s father, Bill Schultz, asked during the news conference.

“That’s the only question that matters right now: Why did you kill my son?”

As CrimeOnline previously reported, investigators claimed that Scout ignored several officers’ orders to drop a small knife he was holding and to continued moving toward them, leading to an officer opening fire. Scout, a fourth-year computer engineering student, was pronounced dead at the hospital.

ORIGINAL Story: Armed Georgia Tech student fatally shot after confrontation with campus police

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) said the police received a 911 call late Saturday about a suspect armed with a knife and gun outside a Georgia Tech dormitory. Police who arrived at the dorm found Scout holding a knife, according to WSB-TV.

AJC reports that video showed Scout yelling “Shoot me!” to officers moments before one of them did.

Scout was the president Georgia Tech’s Pride Alliance, a student association for LGBTQIA students and their allies. Scout’s mother, Lynne Shultz, told the local paper that her child suffered from depression and attempted suicide two years ago.

“Why didn’t they use some non-lethal force, like pepper spray or Tasers?” she asked.

Stewart claimed that Scout was holding a utility tool with the knife blade retracted. According to AJC, photos of the scene appear to corroborate his statement.

“Scout should not have been shot,” the attorney concluded.

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