A 22-year-old Penn State student was shot and killed in Philadelphia after trying to stop thieves who stole his cell phone, leaving his family, friends and neighbors devastated by senseless violence.Billy Schmidt was killed in the early hours of Saturday morning, just steps from his family’s home in South Philadelphia. Surveillance footage reviewed by investigators showed Schmidt being confronted by the suspects at about 1:30 a.m. before a gunshot was heard moments later.Schmidt was heard pleading, “Give me my phone back,” shortly before he was shot, the New York Post reported.Emergency responders transported him to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, but he later died from his injuries.The murder shocked neighborhood residents, many of whom had difficulty understanding how a dispute over a phone could end in tragedy.“Over the phone. It’s abhorrent. It’s unbelievable that someone would kill someone over the phone,” local resident Ezra Rollenavage told NBC 10.Schmidt’s father, Bill Schmidt, said his son was returning home after watching the NBA Finals with friends when the robbery occurred.
The stolen phone was later found under a nearby car.“He was a really good person who cared about everyone and he never hurt or upset anyone, he never bothered anyone, and to shoot him like that is a travesty,” the grieving father told ABC 7.Bill Schmidt said he was surprised his son chose to pursue the suspects after the robbery.The grieving father added: “I was shocked when they stole his phone because he chased them.”
“Supposedly when he got to the corner, another came out and shot him.”Police have not announced any arrests in the case and the investigation is still ongoing.Family members and neighbors remembered Schmidt as a kind, hardworking young man with a bright future ahead of him. He was studying digital journalism and media at Penn State’s Global Campus and was scheduled to graduate in December.In a statement, Penn State expressed its condolences on the student’s death.“We are deeply saddened this morning to learn of the tragic passing of William Schmidt, and offer our deepest condolences to his family and friends,” the university said. “William was a fourth-semester student from Philadelphia studying digital journalism and media at Penn State’s Global Campus.”
