UCF student among two people killed in mass shooting in downtown Orlando

ORLANDO, Fla. – Two people murdered Friday morning around mass shooting in downtown Orlando They were identified as Timothy Schmidt Jr., 19, and Tyrek Hill, 25, according to the Orlando Police Department.

On Saturday afternoon, OPD released the names and ages of both men. 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. According to a fundraiser organized by Jacob Engozi of Fort Lauderdale, Schmidt attended college with aspirations to “follow in his father’s footsteps as a successful businessman.”

The two men were reportedly among nine people shot and seven injured in a brawl that began just after 1 a.m. on Central Boulevard and Orange Avenue during a Halloween celebration attended by many thousands of people. Minutes later, more shots rang out on Washington Street and Orange Avenue.

Jaylen Edgar, 17, was quickly detained and handcuffed by police after the second round of shootings as he joined a crowd of panicked people trying to flee, according to authorities and surveillance footage. Edgar was charged with 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 the police, the injured were people aged 19 to 39. According to reports, the condition of two people is critical.

From Saturday afternoon Fundraising on GoFundMe for Schmidt has raised over $37,000 from over 900 donations.

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

The GoFundMe page listed a goal of $50,000, with all proceeds going to his father, Timothy Schmidt Sr., to cover funeral and other expenses related to his son’s death.

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

After his son’s death, he said he received more than 1,000 messages from classmates, former football teammates, coaches, teachers and parents.

“He is the most genuine and caring person I have ever met,” 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.

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

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

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

On Friday afternoon, UCF sent an email to the university community about the deaths of two people – including a student – although it did not name Schmidt Jr.

“It is with deep sadness that we share the tragic news that a shooting occurred overnight in downtown Orlando, resulting in several bystanders being injured and two people dead, including a student from our UCF community,” the statement read. “Our hearts are filled with sadness as we mourn this tragic, senseless violence that also injured at least one student and may have impacted many other students who celebrated Halloween in the vicinity of this incident.”

In response to the shooting, Mayor Buddy Dyer on Friday afternoon ddeclared a week-long state of emergency in Orlando, which prohibits downtown bars from selling alcohol after midnight and imposes a 1 a.m. curfew in the area. The curfew includes exceptions for all people traveling to or from work, media representatives, as well as medical workers and rescue workers.

The restrictions expire on Friday at 5 p.m., but may be extended by a vote of the City Council.

Even though about 100 police officers patrolled the streets of downtown Orlando during the Halloween event, Chief Eric Smith said Friday he would increase police presence downtown over the weekend. Halloween weekend is traditionally a raucous time downtown.

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