Shari Comstock received a text from her son Monday morning when she woke up. By the time she called him back, he had been fatally shot after a car chase with Ames police that ended on Iowa State’s Central Campus.

“He texted me,” Shari said. “I woke up yesterday morning and had a text from him. He said, ‘Call me when you get up.’ About 11 o’clock, I tried to call him, and there was no answer.”

Her son was pronounced dead at Mary Greeley Medical Center minutes before her call.

“He just wanted a pack of cigarettes, and his dad wouldn’t buy him a pack of cigarettes and he freaked out,” she said.

Tyler Comstock, 19, of Boone, Iowa, had been arguing with his father before leaving a Spring-Green Lawn Care work site at which he worked with his father. Shari said her son had been upset with his father because he would not buy him the pack of cigarettes.

At 10:17 a.m. on Monday, Tyler became involved in a police chase which began at Grand Avenue and Fourth Street. The pursuit proceeded to Beach Avenue, where he lost the trailer hitched to the truck. Tyler then continued onto Iowa State’s campus pursued by officers from the Ames Police Department until his truck came to a stop on Central Campus south of MacKay Hall, surrounded by both Ames and ISU police.

Six shots were fired by Ames Police officer Adam McPherson, one of which struck Tyler in the head. Another shot hit him in the chest.

Tyler’s mother said her son had suffered from emotional distress and that for much of his life, he had been prescribed medications to combat some self-harming behaviors and mental health issues.

Shari questioned the actions of Ames Police officers during Monday’s fatal events after she listened to the police audiotape online from the Des Moines Register.

“Why the hell would they chase him into campus with all the people?” Shari asked. “Tyler would never hurt anybody, ever. He was just a scared child. He’s pretty rational when he calms down.”

Shari, who is originally from Ames, said she has a high respect for law enforcement and for Ames Police in general. She said, however, she does not understand the proceedings of Ames Police on Monday morning.

“I don’t understand [why this happened] when I blatantly heard them say, ‘Hey, we know who this is. It’s a kid, back off.’ I don’t get it,” Shari said after listening to the audio tape.

Shari referred to a quote from the police scanner during which an unidentified officer from Ames police dispatch said, “We know the suspect, so we can probably back it off.”

The Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation in Des Moines is investigating the actions of McPherson, who is on paid leave.

Shari described her son as a technological genius who loved to take things apart and tinker with cars and computers ever since he was little. She said her tech-savvy son once used his talents to hack his teacher’s computer when he was 9 to change the grades on his report card.

“He only had two B’s to begin with, but his dad always gave him $100 if he had straight A’s,” Shari said. “He printed out a copy of his report card with all A’s and then changed them back.”

Shari said such antics were not atypical of her son, whom she claims was a natural comedian. One night, she remembered her son and his friend used a roll of 500 twist-ties to wrap around shoes, cupboards, drawers and many other items in her house.

Shari also remembers her son’s quick wit shone through their daily conversations.

“He answered the phone, ‘Craftsman, this is Tool.’ So I’d always say, ‘What’s up Tool?” Shari said, remembering her son’s wry humor.

“One time, I had a crazy dream that I dressed up like a Cheeto for Halloween, and he said just immediately, ‘It ain’t easy being cheesy,’” Shari said with a laugh.

Shari said her son Tyler moved back to Boone to live with his father in seventh grade and later returned to live with his mother when he was 17. During that time, Tyler suffered from emotional issues and was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia. His mother said that these issues did not deter from her son’s warm and honest demeanor.

“Even in all this — he lost his way — he never would lie,” Shari said. “He never would steal. That child would evade questions; he would avoid it, but he would never lie.

“Right now I’m kind of numb. I’m really affected by it.”