A 22-year-old Penn State student died after being shot a half block from his home in South Philadelphia early Saturday, police said.
Police said officers from the 1st District responded at 1:32 a.m. to a radio call for a person with a gun on the 1900 block of Durfor Street. They found William J. Schmidt lying in the street with a gunshot wound to the chest, police said.
Schmidt was returning home from a local bar where he had been watching the NBA Finals with friends, according to his father, 6abc reported.
Surveillance cameras captured video that appeared to show the moments before the shooting, 6abc reported. A man can be seen throwing a cell phone in one video, and seconds later, another man ran around a corner with Schmidt chasing him, before the gunman turned around and shot him, according to another video.
Police took Schmidt to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 1:47 a.m.
Schmidt lived on the 2300 block of South 20th Street.
Neighbors expressed sadness over Schmidt’s death.
Sitting on her porch, Tara Valdez, 32, said she felt a sense of loss.
Her siblings, she said, grew up playing with him along Durfor Street.
“He was a good person, a really good kid who was never in trouble,” Valdez said. “He always brought joy with him and made it a point to include everyone, even as a kid.”
When Valdez learned of the tragedy Saturday morning, she was in a state of disbelief.
She had seen Schmidt walking by Friday morning, she said, and they waved at each other.
“I’m sad I didn’t talk to him,” she said. “His whole family are very nice people, and they are hurting now.”
Jasmine Alleger, 39, said the sense of living in a safe neighborhood was shattered.
Alleger, who has lived a couple houses down from Schmidt’s house for the last six years, didn’t know him personally. But, people at her gym, she said, spoke kindly about his family on Sunday morning.
“Now all I can think about is his mom waking up without her son, for literally no reason,” Alleger said. “I’m so sorry that people are so evil; it’s so senseless.”
Schmidt was a fourth-semester student studying digital journalism and media at the Penn State World Campus, the university’s online campus.
“We are heartbroken over the tragic death of William Schmidt, and we share our deepest condolences with his family and friends,” the statement said.
The university said its staff is reaching out to Schmidt’s family to provide support and offering counseling to students in need.
Police urged anyone with information regarding the incident to contact the homicide unit at 215-686-3334 or submit an anonymous tip by calling or texting 215-686-TIPS (8477).
With the World Cup and its influx of fans just around the corner, the Fashion District has a new interactive installation: “Philly Love Stories.” Despite the name, this is not about romance; it’s about Philly love and pride.
Two three-dimensional hearts shaped to look like a pink cloud welcome folks in through the Fashion District’s entrance at Ninth and Market Streets and visitors share their musings on love in Philly. The initiative comes from a Visit Philadelphia video series with the same name.
On Saturday afternoon, as people stopped to write their notes and see the exhibition, The Inquirer asked people for their Philadelphia love stories. For some, the city has brought their family together, and for others, the love affair with the city has remained a long-distance relationship. Here, some found the strength to cope with the grief of a child’s death, while others made loving feline bonds.
Here are some of our favorites:
A place to rekindle romance
In their 16 years of marriage, Tito and Janitza Nyemah have found in Philly a place for their love to bloom.
The Bensalem residents come to the city for romantic getaways or, as they did Saturday, to celebrate their anniversary.
Tito (right) and Janitza Nyemah come to Philly from Bensalem every time they want to take a break.Michelle Myers / Staff
“Day to day, you get wrapped up on family, kids, and work, but we come here and we feel connected to each other,” Janitza Nyemah said. “We walk through the parks, and never go twice to the same restaurant because the food scene, it’s top-notch. So there is always something new to try.”
Reading the love stories written by residents and tourists on the prop wall, Nyemah said she hoped visitors coming in for the World Cup will try to seek out the city as much as they can, and explore beyond the cliches.
“Cheesesteaks, for sure,” she said. “But the more you get to know Philly, just know the more you’ll love it.”
A city of motherly love
Binta Willoughby, 48, hugged her youngest son, Quamire, for the last time in early May.
The 26-year-old was sitting outside his home in North Philly with his friend when an unidentified car passed by and the driver opened fire at random, striking Quamire, Willoughby said.
“He was very friendly, will help you out any way he can,” she said.
Binta Willoughby lost her son to gun violence in May, but her love for the city has not diminished.Michelle Myers / Staff
Far from pushing her away from the city, the incident only deepened her connection to Philly.
On Saturday, she and Quamire’s girlfriend wrote on the wall about their love for the city and for Quamire.
“It was an unfortunate thing, but we have been here our whole lives, and there has always been more good than bad,” Willoughby said. “Philly is my home, my whole life, the city where my kids were brought up. People here are kind.”
A city of reunion
In 2016, Sophear Chansath held her newborn daughter and kissed her husband goodbye as he left Cambodia to work in the U.S.
After a decade apart, Philly has now become the city where the high school sweethearts, now both 38, have reunited and are raising their family.
With the help of her daughter Jessica, 10, Chansath wrote about how charming and kind her husband is, and what Philly means to them.
Sophear Chansath (right) and her daughter Jessica moved from Cambodia seven months ago to reunite with Jessica’s father.Michelle Myers / Staff
“We love the food and the people are kind,” Jessica, 10, said, translating for her mother.
The family loves walking in Center City parks and visiting Chinatown. Handmade noodles are Jessica’s favorite meal.
Raising her daughter in a city so far from her home, Chansath has faith that Philly will provide a safe and nurturing space where Jessica can grow up.
“She takes good care of me and wants me to be a good kid and have a nice job here,” the daughter said.
Going the distance
For Damaris and Andres Outlaw, love in Philadelphia involves a long-distance marriage.
“I’m writing about a Jersey boy that fell in love with a Philly Latina queen and now has to travel,” Damaris Outlaw said while attaching her note to the exhibit’s wall.
Her husband’s job keeps him in New Jersey and he often commutes 45 minutes each way, multiple times a week, to be with his Philly-born and -raised wife.
Andres Outlaw (left) commutes 45 minutes each way from New Jersey to spend time with his wife Damaris (right).Michelle Myers / Staff
“I want to be there for her because I love her,” Andres Outlaw said. “It is a sacrifice, but we can see one another.”
“Philadelphia has a lot to give,” Damaris Outlaw said. “We are full of friendly people, good food, and great experiences — think about the pretzels and water ice.”
Pheline love
Staring at the wall of notes, Wen Lee, 24, and Matt DeMarco, 31, couldn’t help but think about what they love most about Philly: cats.
DeMarco grew up in the city, while Lee moved from Texas two years ago for work.
They met at an anime conference in the suburbs and soon began dating. Lee eventually decided to move to Philly, wanting to experience the city’s art, music, and food scene. They also found themselves doing something they hadn’t planned for: rescuing stray cats and taking them to shelters.
“Philly cats are wonderful. We like looking at them, taking care of them, and helping them,” Lee said.
For Wen Lee (left) and her boyfriend Matt DeMarco (right) cats are the best part of Philly.Michelle Myers / Staff
Last winter, they found a cat in the middle of a snowstorm and gave him a forever home.
“His name is Moos. We don’t know how old he is because he has no teeth, so they can’t tell,” she said. “He is our little baby boy.”
With the city’s incoming surge of tourists, they hope more people fall in love with Philly’s cats and help find them homes.
“Give the cats food and water, and if you can catch them, take them to a shelter,” DeMarco said. “And if you want a cheesesteak, don’t go to Pat’s or Geno’s.”
