UCF student among two killed in mass shooting in downtown Orlando

ORLANDO, Fla. – The two people were killed early Friday in a mass shooting in downtown Orlando They have been identified as Timothy Schmidt Jr., 19, and Tyreek Hill, 25, according to Orlando police.

OPD provided the names and ages of the two men Saturday afternoon. No additional details were available about Hill.

Schmidt, of Weston, was a freshman at the University of Central Florida, according to a GoFundMe page set up for his family. Schmidt attended college with the ambition “to follow in his father’s footsteps as a successful businessman,” according to the fundraiser created by Jacob Engozi of Fort Lauderdale.

The two men were among nine people shot — seven of whom were injured — during the fight that started just after 1 a.m. at Central Boulevard and Orange Avenue during a Halloween party with many thousands in attendance, according to reports. Minutes later, more shots were heard at Washington Street and Orange Avenue.

Jaylen Edgar, 17, was quickly tackled and handcuffed by police after the second round of gunfire as he joined a crowd of panicked people trying to flee, authorities and surveillance camera footage showed. Edgar is facing two counts of first-degree murder and seven counts of attempted murder and waived his appearance in juvenile court Saturday morning.

Police said a tenth person was injured after falling and being trampled by the fleeing crowd. According to police, the injured are between 19 and 39 years old. Two people were reported to be in critical condition.

From Saturday afternoon the GoFundMe fundraiser as Schmidt had raised more than $37,000 from more than 900 donations.

“Join the Alpha Epsilon Pi Nu Delta Chapter of Central Florida to raise money for the family of Timothy Schmidt Jr., when Tim was tragically and innocently murdered in a shooting in downtown Orlando in the hours after Halloween, on November 1, 2024,” the page said. . “He was an extraordinary person, a loving son, a caring friend, a talented football player, a great teammate, a kind soul, a hard-working student and an individual with an extremely warm heart and a witty sense of humor.”

With a goal of $50,000, the GoFundMe page said all proceeds will go to his father, Timothy Schmidt Sr., for funeral expenses and other costs related to his son’s death.

Schmidt Sr. said he was told his son had been shot straight through the heart and that he probably didn’t know what was happening.

In the wake of his son’s death, he said he has received more than a thousand messages from classmates, former football teammates, coaches, teachers and parents.

“He is the most genuine and caring person I have ever encountered,” Schmidt Sr. said.

Schmidt Jr.’s best friend, Simon Gonzalez, was visiting from South Florida and was with Schmidt the night of the shooting but lost him in the chaos.

The two grew up together, first becoming friends in third grade and later rekindling their friendship in high school. They loved laughing about inside jokes and spending time at Schmidt Jr.’s house, playing football or lounging in the hot tub.

Schmidt Jr. was the kind of person who didn’t worry about what other people thought, Gonzalez said. He was reserved, but inside he cared deeply about others.

“Tim really wasn’t the most expressive,” he said, “but deep down he really cared about a group of people. More than you would think.”

On Friday afternoon, UCF sent an email to the university community about the loss of the two lives – including the student – ​​although Schmidt Jr. was not mentioned by name.

“It is with deep sadness that we share the tragic news that an overnight shooting incident in downtown Orlando resulted in the injury of several bystanders and the devastating loss of two lives, including a student member of our UCF community,” the statement said. “Our hearts are heavy with sadness as we mourn this tragic, senseless violence, which also resulted in the injury of at least one other student and may have impacted many other students celebrating Halloween near this incident.”

Following the shooting, Mayor Buddy Dyer announced Friday afternoondeclared a state of emergency for a week in Orlando that bans downtown bars from selling alcohol after midnight and places the area under a 1 a.m. curfew. The curfew provides exemptions for anyone traveling to or from work, members of the media, and medical and emergency workers.

The restrictions are set to expire at 5pm on Friday but could be extended by a council vote.

Although about 100 police officers patrolled the streets of Orlando during the Halloween event, Police Chief Eric Smith said Friday that he had increased the police presence downtown over the weekend. Halloween weekend is traditionally a rough time in the downtown area.

The deaths of Schmidt and Hill brought the total number of homicides in Orlando this year to 19, up from 35 in the same period last year, according to figures compiled by The Orlando Sentinel.