Man shot by police near Zion school identified as Charles Hollstein

ZION, Ill. (WLS) -- Zion police identified the man fatally shot by police near a school as Charles Hollstein, 38, of Zion.

Hollstein had a roommate. Gary Zilm said police came to their apartment on Wednesday night.

"When I first watched the news and stuff, I was like, 'taking pictures of schools?' My roommate would never take pictures,'" Zilm said.

On Wednesday, police officers were called to the school on reports of suspicious man taking photographs while class was in session. Police officers radioed in that the man was wearing what looked like a bulletproof vest. Investigators said it had homemade metal plates inside.

"I always seen him with his vest on, but I never knew anything about it. He would always wear a black vest and a black cap with gloves every time that I ever seen him," neighbor Dianne Laura said.

Police officers struggled with Hollstein and used a stun gun unsuccessfully before he was shot, investigators said. He had an airsoft gun on him, investigators said, which officers on the scene thought was a handgun.

"A BB gun. I heard the news and I didn't know that he ever had a BB gun in here," Zilm said.

An autopsy determined the cause of death as three gunshot wounds to the left, upper back involving ribs, thoracic spine and both lungs.

"I'm very saddened. My children are saddened to the point my son got up this morning, he was sad. He was crying and asked if he could go to the funeral and he's just 7," Laura said.

The officers involved in the shooting are on paid leave.