I write this with a mix of terror and gratefulness. Before we get into it, let me give you a bit of my background. I am one of those rare people who live in Florida who was actually born in Florida. What's even more weird? My Mom and my grandmother were also born in Florida. I was born in Orlando. Yes, people are actually born where Disney World exists. People actually live and rear families just miles from Universal Studios and Harry Potter land. My children are fourth generation Floridians on the maternal side and fifth generation Floridian on their paternal side. Needless to say, we have roots here. My daughter is a beautiful eighteen year old girl who decided to go to downtown Orlando on Halloween with a large group of friends. I gave her all the necessary reminders for today's day and time: don't lose your phone, keep your phone on you at all times so I can track where you are, don't take a drink from strangers, don't leave your drink and come back to it, stay together with your friends, and if you feel like anything is off, call an Uber immediately and come home. I don't care how much it costs. How could I have known to warn her to listen for gunshots and drop to the floor if she heard them?
There was a mass murder shooting in Orlando a few days ago.
— Jeremy Carl (@realJeremyCarl) November 4, 2024
You didn't hear much about it because it didn't fit the narrative.
Tim Schmidt's son is dead because our anti-white racist justice system, led by people like Kamala Harris, who refuse to imprison criminals, Lie about… pic.twitter.com/gvxhQrwlbe
This is the 17 year old young man who killed people mere yards from my child on Halloween night. I don't need a reason to proclaim God is good, but I have never been more grateful for His protection. I know there were a band of angels around my child.
I haven’t talked about this because my family is shaken but my daughter was downtown when this happened on Thursday (Halloween). She was w/ a large group of friends & I know God protected her life. It’s heartbreaking to see the father of a victim because that could have been me. https://t.co/jRzIXFAd0G
— Just Mindy 🐊 (@just_mindy) November 4, 2024
It's sad young people can't go out and have a fun night anymore because criminals continue to be let out of jail time and time again. This young man had a lengthy record and should have been somewhere being rehabilitated and punished. Instead, another family is suffering.
https://t.co/mCG3RRo3UR
— Andy (@andyagtech) November 4, 2024
We have "judges" like this in all of our major cities. The kind that will let criminals who are caught on video **killing people** bail out easily.
Activist judges are absolutely a huge part of this problem.
Everyone I mean Everyone repost this . Comment repost . This is horrific. Glad he's in custody now. https://t.co/N3Fs34ocQC
— Paul Brookes (@brookesyff) November 4, 2024
Lots of fake news out there. Here is the real story of the tragedy involving my 19 year old son. Please share as we're going to have a massive funeral and need security, legal, and more for this very public event. https://t.co/I2FaT44Azuhttps://t.co/rHq5Wt9REQ
— Tim Schmidt 🍸 (@tequilareviews) November 3, 2024
Thanks to…
The night before Tim Schmidt Jr. died, he sent his dad a picture of himself dressed in a red devil costume. A 19-year-old freshman at the University of Central Florida, it was his first Halloween as a college student away from home.
“Be safe and have fun,” Tim Schmidt Sr. recalled texting him.
The next time he saw his son, he was scrolling X for answers after initial reports about a shooting in downtown Orlando. Schmidt Sr. came across a video someone had posted and watched a police officer give his son CPR as he lay in his red devil costume, lifeless, on the ground.
“I’m pretty sure he had fun until he didn’t,” Schmidt Sr. told the South Florida Sun Sentinel on Saturday.
The father of one of the victims wants this particular story shared so I will honor his son and use my platform to do so. It's the least I could do since I get to wake up with my child still on Earth with me.
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‘Sweetest person I ever coached.’
— Niko Clemmons (@NBCNiko) November 3, 2024
ICYMI tonight on @nbc6: The #SouthFlorida community is remembering 19-year-old Timothy Schmidt Jr., 1 of 2 people killed in a mass shooting in #Orlando. I spoke with people who knew the #BrowardCounty teen. Full story: https://t.co/dJ3Uhz0S6w pic.twitter.com/S9mlhb8AX6
I'll share one more memorial to this young man. His family deserves that.
My friend Tim passed away yesterday at the young age of 19. He brought joy to the room whenever he entered, such a kind soul. Please donate to his gofundme to help with funeral expenses. Please pray for his family as they go through this tough timehttps://t.co/bCHWcsuAlc pic.twitter.com/W9pRZLIcKS
— Jewel ✝️ (comms closed😢) (@JewelerFX) November 2, 2024
A family never plans to bury a teenager. They are raising money to give him a proper funeral. God bless them. We owe it to our young people to put politics and feckless 'progressive' policies aside and keep our streets safe.