A student shot and killed by deputies in Washington state last month, who was originally reported to have been wielding a knife or “sharp object,” was in reality holding only a pen.

The night of June 13, Tommy Le was just hours away from his high school graduation, according to a Seattle Times report published Wednesday. The 20-year-old Vietnamese-American had been attending classes at Career Link, an alternative high school program at South Seattle College.

In a statement put out by the King’s County Sheriff’s Office shortly after Le was killed, it said that the office received ‘multiple calls’ on June 13 about gunshots in a neighbourhood in the city of Burien.

Callers described the suspect as wearing black shorts and shouting “I am the Creator” and “I am the killer.”

Deputies who arrived on the scene discovered that a homeowner had fired a ‘warning shot’ at a man later identified as Le, who was approaching with what the homeowner believed to be a ‘knife or sharp object’.

After they fired their tasers at Le, they shot him three times. He later died of his injuries at Harborview Medical Centre.

One week after the fatal incident, local authorities confirmed the weapon Le was holding was not a knife, but in fact a pen.

Despite his alleged erratic behavior, Le has no history of mental illness or of doing drugs. He also has no criminal history.

Seattle Times interviewed a number of teachers and classmates who all described him as a sweet and bubbly kid who was “always smiling.”

The shooting is under an investigation by the Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit. Deputy Molina, who fired the shots at Le, has been placed on administrative leave.