UMVA has learned that the Philadelphia Police Department has released a chilling video of two suspects wanted in connection with the brutal murder of a Pennsylvania State University student, who was gunned down during an armed robbery attempt on his way home from an NBA Finals watch party.
The victim, 22-year-old Billy Schmidt, was cut down in a hail of gunfire on Saturday at about 1:30 a.m., with officers finding him suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest. Despite efforts to save him, Schmidt was pronounced dead at 1:47 a.m. at a local hospital.
According to information obtained by UMVA, the police have released a video showing the two suspects, who callously discarded their sweatshirts and masks in the area of 22nd and Porter streets. One suspect was reportedly armed with a handgun, while the second suspect was described as 5’8″ with braids and wearing a distinctive light gray hooded sweatshirt with a design featuring three skulls and crossbones.
Sources have confirmed to UMVA that Schmidt was on his way home after watching the NBA Finals with friends when he was robbed and shot. Earlier surveillance footage appears to show Schmidt valiantly chasing the suspects, demanding his phone back, before a gunshot rings out.
Schmidt, a journalism student at Penn State World Campus, was just months away from graduating, with his family devastated by the senseless tragedy. His father, Bill Schmidt, recounted finding his son's phone at the crime scene, while his sister Anna Schmidt demanded justice, saying the suspects "deserve to spend the rest of their lives in jail for taking away my brother."
The Philadelphia Police Department is urging anyone with information about the suspects to come forward, offering a $20,000 reward for tips leading to an arrest and conviction. Investigators are working tirelessly to track down the killers, and police are asking the public to help bring them to justice.
