A Penn State student poised to begin his senior year tragically lost his life while attempting to retrieve his phone from robbers, who later discarded it under a car.
Billy Schmidt, 22, was captured on surveillance footage being confronted by assailants just steps away from his family’s residence in South Philadelphia around 1:30 a.m. on Saturday. Moments after he was heard pleading, “Give me back my phone,” a gunshot echoed through the night.
Schmidt was swiftly transported to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, where he succumbed to his injuries.
“It’s unconscionable,” said Ezra Roulinavage, a neighbor who spoke to NBC 10. “It’s just beyond belief that someone would take a life over a phone.”
His father, Bill Schmidt, recounted that his son had been returning home after watching the NBA Finals with friends when the incident occurred. The phone, the object of the deadly confrontation, was later found tossed aside under a nearby car.
“He was a really good person who cared about everybody and never hurt or bothered a soul, never bothered anyone and for him to get shot like that is a travesty,” the grieving dad told ABC 7.
“I’m shocked when they stole his phone that he chased them,” the grieving father added. “Supposedly when he got to the corner another came out and he shot him.”
No arrests have been made yet over the shooting, with the investigation ongoing.
Family and neighbors described Schmidt as a “really good kid” who was studying journalism at Penn State and set to graduate in December.
“We are heartbroken this morning to learn of the tragic death of William Schmidt, and we share are deepest condolences with his family and friends. William was a fourth semester student from Philadelphia studying digital journalism and media at Penn State World Campus,” the school said in a statement.
One neighbor urged the public to help identify the men involved in Schmidt’s death to give his family closure.
“I want the kid that shot Billy to be found,” the neighbor told NBC 10. “If anyone has any information or recognizes anything about the kids, I would love for them to come forward and give his parents some justice.”