The grieving father of the Penn State student gunned down while trying to stop robbers from stealing his phone raged that he wants to hunt down the ruthless killers and “make them pay.”
Billy Schmidt, 22, was only steps from his family’s South Philadelphia home around 1:30 a.m. Saturday when he was confronted and then shot dead while chasing two hooded thugs who allegedly swiped the device and are still on the run.
“I want to find the two people and make them pay,” Schmidt’s father, Bill, told WPVI, adding his son was returning home from watching the NBA Finals with friends at a bar when tragedy struck.
“He was a really good person who cared about everybody and never hurt or bothered a soul, never hurt anyone and for him to get shot like that is a travesty.”
The slain student, who was preparing for his senior year, was caught on surveillance footage being confronted by one of the suspects before the pair ran off with Schmidt chasing behind, the outlet reported.
One of them tossed the phone on the street and ducked behind a parked car, while the other turned and shot the student in the chest as he begged, “Give me back my phone.”
His devastated dad later found his son’s mobile discarded under a car and gave it to police.
“I’m shocked when they stole his phone and that he chased them,” he told the outlet
“Supposedly when he got to the corner another came out and shot him.”
Schmidt was rushed to the Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, where he succumbed to his injuries.
“I don’t understand how someone could do this to me and my family,” his sister, Anna, told Fox News.
“I miss him so much.”
No arrests have been made yet over the shooting, with the investigation ongoing.
Prosecutors are hoping DNA on the phone will help identify the two thugs, CBS Philadelphia reported.
“They are working diligently and have been back out to the scene to survey and recover anything else at this time,” Philadelphia Assistant District Attorney Bill Fritze said.
