Billy Schmidt had spent Friday night the way many young people do, watching the NBA Finals with friends at a nearby bar in South Philadelphia. He was 22 years old, a senior at Penn State, and only a short walk from his family’s home when the night took a devastating turn.
After the game ended, Billy said goodbye to his friends and started walking home. Those who knew him said his goodbyes were always warm, usually with a big hug and an “I love you.” That night, his friends got to hear those words one final time without knowing it would be the last.
Around 1:30 a.m., in the 1900 block of Durfor Street, Billy was only yards from his front door when something happened with his phone. According to police and surveillance footage, a man threw the phone, and Billy ran after him.
Seconds later, another man came around a corner. As Billy followed, the man turned and fired, striking him in the chest. Billy collapsed near the place where he should have been safest: close to home.
Philadelphia police later released surveillance video showing parts of the sequence. The footage reportedly shows one person throwing a cellphone, another person running around a corner, and the gunman turning before the shot was fired.
Investigators said the suspects were later seen fleeing on foot near 22nd and Porter streets. Police believe they had been walking in the area of 20th Street between Ritner Street and Jackson Street before the deadly encounter.
Billy’s father, Bill Schmidt, later found his son’s phone under a car and turned it over to investigators. He said he was shocked that Billy had chased after the people who took it, adding that from what the family was told, another person came out and shot him.
For Billy’s loved ones, the pain is almost impossible to understand. His father described him as a good person who cared about everyone and never hurt or bothered anyone. To him, the idea that his son was killed so close to home is a tragedy beyond words.
Friends gathered in South Philadelphia to remember Billy, leaning on each other as they tried to process the loss. One friend said that leaning on each other was something they had always done growing up, and now it is what they must continue doing without him.
Philadelphia police are offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction. A vigil is planned as the community mourns a young man who was almost home, who had just said “I love you,” and whose family is now pleading for justice.
