University of North Texas Campus Police Fatally Shoot Student Carrying an Ax

DENTON, Texas (TheBlaze/AP) — University of North Texas campus police have fatally shot a student who allegedly threatened a campus officer with an ax.

University officials tell The Dallas Morning News that the shooting happened near the Denton campus early Sunday. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office identified the man as Ryan McMillan, whose 21st birthday was Saturday. He was white, according to a statement from the school.

Breaking: The man shot has been identified as 21-year-old UNT student Ryan McMillan, according to a source from the TCME office.

— Nicholas Friedman (@NMFreed) December 13, 2015

UNT spokeswoman Margarita Venegas says police responded about 1 a.m. Sunday to a report that someone was breaking car windows about two blocks from campus.

Image via Facebook/Tyler Keehn Cleveland

Venegas says when the officer arrived, McMillan approached him with the ax in his hand and the officer shot him. The Texas Rangers are investigating. The officer has been place on administrative duty pending results of the investigation.

We just received raw video of the suspect from last night. pic.twitter.com/Dxy8iN2vnr

— North Texas Daily (@ntdaily) December 13, 2015

Police are guarding the scene of the incident on Fry Street. pic.twitter.com/9icfaHiXcv

— North Texas Daily (@ntdaily) December 13, 2015

KTVT-TV reported that campus police responded to the scene as Denton Police were busy.

According to KTVT, witnesses described the suspect as being shot "four or five" times.

In a Facebook post, Tyler Cleveland said he at a friend's apartment "yards away" during the altercation. Cleveland wrote that students and an elderly man witnessed the scenario and decried the officers shooting.

"Students cried and yelled, 'You didn't have to shoot him! He didn't have to die!" An elderly man shouted from the porch of the house on the corner, that the police were murderers. 'Don't you know how to use a taser?' he yelled," Cleveland wrote.

Many on Twitter also decried the shooting.

Was it necessary for the UNT Police officer to shoot and kill a student? Couldn't have disarmed him?

— Goku (@jo_ji_licious) December 13, 2015

I understand protection as an officer, BUT why shoot to kill ...? #UNT #Bizarre

— J.STEW (@_RealJStew) December 13, 2015

I can't believe there was a police shooting at UNT

— T. (@SelfishlyPretty) December 13, 2015