ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- Maitland police fatally shot a teenager Monday who was accused of stabbing his 60-year-old mother repeatedly in the torso with a butter knife.

Police say a family fight started inside a home on Dommerich Drive (see map) .

Diana May locked herself in a bedroom and frantically called 911 to report that she was under attack. May told the operator that she was being stabbed with a butter knife. Police say the man wielding the weapon was her 18-year-old son, Alex May.

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"She's a wonderful person, this is just a shock to all of us around here," said neighbor Steve Hyde. "A lot of people love her, she has a big bunch of friends."

When police arrived, they entered the home and came into contact with Alex May, who they say traded his butter knife for a 16-inch, two-pronged barbecue fork. Investigators said they ordered May to drop the weapon and he refused. It was unclear if the teen charged police, but Officer Steve Mendez shot and killed Alex May in the home's bathroom.

A police spokeswoman said it's not clear why the officer didn't use less-than-lethal force. Maitland police are issued Tasers.

"I don’t understand why they shot and killed him," said a man who identified himself as the 18-year-old's best friend. "Now he's gone forever."

Eyewitness News tried to find out why Officer Mendez didn't use a Taser on the teen, but neither Maitland police nor the Florida Department of Law Enforcement had an answer.

"We have not talked to the involved officer. That will probably be tomorrow or the next day," FDLE Special Agent Supervisor Jack Massey said.

"He was real stressed out about school lately; everybody was on him trying to get him straightened out," said a friend.

FDLE is concentrating on a detailed re-enactment of the stabbing and police shooting. Alex May's friend's said the teen recently graduated from Winter Park High School and had plans to attend college.

Charlie Shephard described Alex May as a good friend. The two attended elementary and middle school together. They shared their love of music, playing the guitar together and never in Shephard's wildest imagination would he have thought his friend's Maitland home would become a crime scene.

"We have no idea why this young man did what he did today," said Massey.

Steve Hyde is the May's neighbor. He said the divorced mom of three is well-liked. Another neighbor said Diana May worked as a pharmacist.

Eyewitness News learned that Alex May had no known history of violence.

Officer Mendez is on administrative leave while the FDLE investigates. He is expected to be questioned by investigators on Tuesday.