A teenage soccer star has been identified as one of two people killed in a mass shooting at a Halloween celebration in Orlando on Friday.
Timothy Schmidt Jr., 19, was enjoying a night out with some friends outside ‘The Block’ – a seven-venue entertainment district in downtown Orlando – when a 17-year-old suspect allegedly opened fire on a crowd of thousands of partygoers.
The University of Central Florida freshman and Weston FC soccer player was one of two fatalities on the night, while another eight people were injured in the shooting, the regional police department said on Friday.
Officers responded to reports of shots fired at Central BoA teenage soccer star has been identified as one of two people killed in a mass shooting ulevard and Orange Avenue at around 1am local time and within minutes, a second shooting was witnessed by officers south of Washington Street on Orange Avenue.
Schmidt and another man, identified as 25-year-old Tyrek Hill, were eventually pronounced dead at Orlando Regional Medical Center.
A teenage soccer star has been identified as one of two people killed in a mass shooting
Timothy Schmidt Jr, 19, was out with friends in downtown Orlando when a gunman opened fire
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Timothy’s heartbroken father, Timothy Schmidt Sr., opened up on the pain of losing his ‘one of a kind’ son in an interview with The New York Post on Saturday.
‘One month before I dropped him off for his summer session at UCF he was the best man in my wedding and gave the best speech ever,’ Schmidt Sr said.
‘He brought everyone to tears. He was my mini me and my best friend. We had such a special bond.’
After the shooting, people in Halloween costumes stood in the incident area as emergency personnel attended to casualties lying in the street.
Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith said at a press conference that the alleged gunman, Jaylen Dwayne Edgar, had been identified and taken into custody.
‘He was just out with his friends having fun,’ Schmidt Sr. said about his late son.
A woman, 26, is said to have been hospitalized after she was trampled on during the chaos after Edgar allegedly pulled out a handgun and opened fire.
The suspect then ran and appeared a block away amid the mad scramble of the crowd at Orange Avenue and Washington Street, where he is understood to have pulled the trigger once again.
Schmidt’s heartbroken father (third from left) paid a devastating tribute to his son on Saturday
Suspect Jaylen Dwayne Edgar, 17, has been hit with eight criminal charges over the shooting
Police have released footage of the moment he allegedly opened fire on the crowd
Edgar has been hit with two counts of first-degree murder with a firearm and six attempted murder charges.
Police have released footage of the moment he allegedly opened fire on the crowd in downtown Orlando, as well as cops tackling him to the ground and arresting him.
Schmidt Jr. was playing for USL League Two team Weston FC before his tragic death on Friday night. He was also in his first year at the University of Central Florida.
‘He was an extraordinary person, loving son, caring friend, talented soccer player, astounding teammate, kind soul, hardworking student and individual with an extremely warm heart and a witty sense of humor,’ said student Jacob Egozi, who created a GoFundMe to raise money to support Timothy’s father.
At the time of writing the fundraising page, which has a $40,000 target, has brought in just over $30,000.