Billy Schmidt was 22 years old, a Penn State senior a few months from graduating, and a Philadelphia Eagles fan who had spent Saturday night at a local bar watching the NBA Finals with friends. He was half a block from home when two men approached him and stole his phone.
Surveillance video captured what happened next. One of the men threw the phone on the ground. Schmidt ran after the other man, demanding it back. He can be heard on the audio saying, “Give me my phone.” Seconds later, a gunshot. Schmidt fell to the street at the intersection of 20th and Durfor in South Philadelphia, a wound to his chest. He was 17 minutes by ambulance from Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 1:47 a.m.
According to ABC News, Philadelphia police found Schmidt lying in the road after responding to a call at 1:32 a.m. on Saturday, June 6. No arrests have been made. Officers said the suspected shooter was last seen running east on Durfor Street.
His father, also named Billy Schmidt, spoke to Fox News from the family home. “I was shocked. I ran into his room. I didn’t believe it.” He said his son had never had a problem with anyone. “He was my best friend.”
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Schmidt was studying digital journalism and media at Penn State’s online campus and was set to graduate in December. Penn State called his death “heartbreaking.” Police said a cell phone recovered at the scene may carry DNA evidence that leads them to the killer.
Two suspects remain at large.
A phone. A confrontation. A life ended half a block from home. How many more of these stories does Philadelphia need before something changes?