Today is Wednesday June 10, 2026
ktbb logo

Vigil, protest to be held for Penn State student shot dead near his home in Philadelphia

Posted/updated on: June 10, 2026 at 11:09 am

An undated photo of Billy Schmidt, 22, who was killed June 6, 2026. (Bill Schmidt)

(PHILADELPHIA) -- A vigil and protest will be held in honor of a Penn State University student who was fatally shot about one block from his Philadelphia home.

William "Billy" Schmidt, 22, was shot in the chest at about 1:30 a.m. Saturday in an apparent robbery, according to Philadelphia police.

No arrests have been made, police said on Wednesday.

Billy Schmidt had been watching the NBA Finals game with his friends at a bar and was walking home when he was shot, his father, Bill Schmidt, told Philadelphia ABC station WPVI.

"He was a really good person who cared about everybody," Bill Schmidt said. "... For him to get shot like that is a travesty."

The vigil and protest, called "Justice for Billy," will be held Thursday evening in Philadelphia.

"We are taking our streets back. ... we won't stop until our community is safe," the flyer said.

The 22-year-old was studying digital journalism and media at Penn State World Campus, according to the university.

"We are heartbroken over the tragic death of William Schmidt, and we share our deepest condolences with his family and friends," a Penn State spokesperson said in a statement.

ABC News' Jessica Gorman contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.



Advertisement
Advertisement

News Partner
Promotion
Advertisement
Advertisement

© 1999 - 2026 Copyright ATW Media, LLC