Following the recent shooting of a student by a campus police officer at Georgia Tech, Georgia Southern police Chief Laura McCullough responded to the incident, saying the loss of a student’s life is always difficult for university communities to overcome.

“Our hearts go out to the Georgia Tech community and the family and friends of Scout Schultz,” McCullough said on behalf of the Office of Public Safety.

McCullough said she has never experienced an incident similar to the shooting. She added that her police officers undergo “frequent training” to learn how to de-escalate certain situations.

“Our officers are highly trained to foster a culture of safety on our campus and in the community,” McCullough said.

McCullough’s response comes approximately 18 days after the shooting at GT. When asked when an appropriate time would be for a police officer to use his or her firearm, McCullough quoted Georgia Code Title 17:

“…when the officer reasonably believes that the suspect poses an immediate threat of physical violence to the officer or others; or when there is probable cause to believe that the suspect has committed a crime involving the infliction or threatened infliction of serious physical harm.”

McCullough declined to answer questions about how the GS PD would react during a similar situation on the GS campus, saying she’d have to be informed of all the factors and circumstances before commenting on a “hypothetical situation.”

McCullough said, however, that the safety of GS students is the “highest priority” for the Office of Public Safety.