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A victim of the Orlando Halloween mass shooting has been identified as UCF freshman Timothy Schmidt Jr.

Posted on by Nargang
A victim of the Orlando Halloween mass shooting has been identified as UCF freshman Timothy Schmidt Jr.

A University of Central Florida freshman has been identified as one of two revelers killed during a mass shooting at a Halloween party in Orlando.

Timothy Schmidt Jr. had aspirations to “follow in his father’s footsteps as a successful businessman” before he was “tragically and innocently murdered,” according to a GoFundMe.

His heartbroken father, Timothy Schmidt Sr., told The Post Saturday that his 19-year-old son, a talented soccer player, is “one of a kind” he has raised primarily as a single father since the boy was 9.

Orlando shot victim Timothy Schmidt Jr., 19, along with his father, Timothy Sr., who had raised him primarily as a single father since he was 9 years old. “He was the youngest me and my best friend,” Schmidt Sr. told The Post. Courtesy of Timothy Schmidt Sr.

“A month before I dropped him off at his summer session at UCF, he was the best man at my wedding and gave the best speech ever,” his father said. “It brought everyone to tears. He was my youngest and my best friend. We had such a special bond.”

Schmidt Sr. said he has already received more than 1,000 messages from his son’s grieving friends and relatives.

“He didn’t have a bad bone in his body,” his father said. “He was the kindest soul, always trying to help his friends and uplift his friends.”

Schmidt, known to his family as Tim, was outside The Block, a seven-venue entertainment district in downtown Orlando, on Friday when Jaylen Dwayne Edgar allegedly opened fire on the crowd of thousands partying.

“It was a horrible lottery ticket to win,” Timothy Schmidt Sr. said of his son’s accidental killing. “He was just out with his friends having fun.”

“He was an extraordinary person, a loving son, a caring friend, a talented soccer player, an amazing teammate, a kind soul, a hardworking student, and a person with an extremely warm heart and a witty sense of humor.” said student Jacob Egozi, who created the fundraiser on behalf of Alpha Epsilon Pi Nu Delta Chapter of Central Florida.

Timothy Schmidt Jr. has been identified as one of the victims killed in the attack in downtown Orlando in the early morning hours of November 1, 2024. GoFundMe
Tim Schmidt Jr., 19, was a talented football player who worked for his father’s remote company and hoped to follow in his footsteps. Courtesy of Tim Schmidt

The UCF student government previously said a student was among the two killed, without identifying Schmidt.

“An unwarranted act of violence injured several members of our UCF family and took the lives of two people, including a UCF student and a member of our Orlando community,” the school said. he said on Facebook.

Schmidt and another man, 25, were pronounced dead at Orlando Regional Medical Center following the shooting.

Eight others, ages 19 to 39, were rushed to the hospital after the incident with varying degrees of injuries, according to the Orlando Police Department.

Two victims were listed in critical condition.

Jaylen Dwayne Edgar was seen walking down the street in a yellow shirt before pulling out a gun and firing on November 1, 2024. Orlando Police Department
After the first shot, Edgar fled the area, only to re-enter the street, where he opened fire again. Orlando Police Department

A 26-year-old woman was hospitalized late Friday morning after being trampled by the horrified crowd, police said.

Edgar, 17, is accused of pulling out a gun and shooting into a crowd at the intersection of Orange Ave and Central Blvd. around 1:07 a.m., authorities said.

He fled, then appeared a block away in the middle of a frenzied crowd fight at Orange Avenue and Washington Street, where police said he opened fire again.

An Orlando police officer tackles Edgar after seeing him shoot into the crowd. Orlando Police Department
“Get down!” a police officer yells at the teenager repeatedly amid the chaos, body camera footage from the arresting officer shows. Orlando Police Department

Police officers saw Edgar shoot them with the gun and then tackled the gunman before he could run again, authorities said.

Body camera footage from the officers showed officers yelling at the suspect before arresting him.

“Get down!” a police officer shouted, with the suspect replying, “It’s not me,” before being arrested.

“I saw him shoot,” an officer said in the clip.

Edgar was charged with two counts of first-degree murder with a firearm and six counts of attempted murder. Orlando Police Department
The alleged shooter was escorted from the police department Friday in a waiting police car. Orlando Police Department

Edgar was slapped with two counts of first-degree murder with a firearm and six counts of attempted murder.

The teenager, dressed in a white jumpsuit, was escorted from the police department to a waiting police car on Friday.

“Whatever his mentality was, he was going to shoot no matter what,” Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith said Friday. “He passed several officers, we followed him where he came from. He knew what he was going to do, what he thought his mind was going to do.”

Edgar could be tried as an adult based on “a number of aggravating factors,” Orange-Osceola State’s Attorney Andrew Bain said.

Tim Schmidt Jr. was just going out for a fun Halloween night with his friends when he was randomly shot. Courtesy of Tim Schmidt
In the wake of the shooting, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer placed the downtown entertainment district under a state of emergency for a week, forcing businesses to stop selling alcohol at midnight. Brad Perry via Storyful

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer placed the downtown entertainment district under a week-long state of emergency, forcing businesses to stop selling alcohol at midnight.

“We recognize that there will be an impact on businesses and residents in this area, however, the safety of everyone who lives, works and visits our downtown is our top priority,” the city of Orlando said.