Authorities ended a weeks-long search after one suspect was located in Colorado and the other surrendered in Philadelphia.

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — Two 16-year-old boys face murder and related charges in the fatal shooting of Penn State student William “Billy” Schmidt, who police say was attacked during an apparent robbery less than a block from his South Philadelphia home.

The arrests brought an end to a search that began after Schmidt, 22, was shot in the chest at about 1:30 a.m. June 6. Investigators identified the teenagers as Kaiseem Smith and Azzubair Outen-Fleming. One was arrested nearly 1,700 miles away in Colorado Springs, while the other turned himself in to Philadelphia police the following day. The case has moved from a homicide investigation and public manhunt into its court phase, where prosecutors must prove what happened during the encounter.

Outen-Fleming was arrested July 1 by members of the U.S. Marshals Service Colorado Violent Offender Task Force. Federal authorities said officers found him at the home of a distant relative in Colorado Springs. The Marshals Service said he initially tried to deny his identity before officers took him into custody. He was placed at the Zebulon Pike Youth Services Center while authorities prepared to return him to Philadelphia. Smith surrendered July 2, according to the Marshals Service. Police had announced arrest warrants for both teenagers after investigators spent more than three weeks reviewing videos, interviewing witnesses and tracing their movements following the shooting. Authorities have not publicly explained how Outen-Fleming traveled to Colorado or whether anyone helped him leave Pennsylvania.

The case began on the 1900 block of Durfor Street, a narrow residential block near South 20th Street. Schmidt had spent part of the night watching an NBA Finals game with friends at a neighborhood bar and was walking home when two people approached him, according to police and his family. Video from nearby homes showed two figures in the area before the shooting. In one recording, Schmidt could be heard asking for his phone. Other footage appeared to show a cellphone being thrown and Schmidt moving after one of the people. A second person then came around a corner, turned and fired, investigators said. Officers found Schmidt lying in the road with a wound to his chest. He was taken to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and pronounced dead at 1:47 a.m.

Detectives used several pieces of video to develop descriptions of the people they were seeking. Police said the gunman appeared to be the shorter of the two and fired with his left hand. Investigators also highlighted clothing worn before and after the shooting, including a gray hooded sweatshirt decorated with skull-and-crossbones images. Police said the pair discarded some clothing and were later recorded wearing white T-shirts. The department released portions of the video and offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction. The U.S. Marshals Service later offered an additional reward as federal officers joined the search. Authorities have not publicly disclosed whether the rewards were claimed or which evidence directly connected each teenager to the killing.

Bill Schmidt, the victim’s father, said his son’s phone was found beneath a parked car and turned over to detectives. He said the recordings appeared to show that one person took the phone while another hid nearby. His son then followed the person who had the device, he said. “I’m shocked he chased them after they took his phone,” the father said shortly after the killing. He said he had been told that another person emerged and opened fire. Police have described the shooting as an apparent robbery, although investigators did not immediately announce a detailed motive. The filing of murder charges indicates authorities believe they have evidence linking both teenagers to the fatal encounter, but the full prosecution theory has not been presented in open court.

Because the defendants are 16, their ages will shape the legal proceedings but do not automatically keep the case in juvenile court. Pennsylvania law permits some homicide cases involving older teenagers to begin in adult criminal court. Defense attorneys may seek to transfer a case to juvenile court, depending on the filed charges and the evidence presented at future hearings. Court records will determine whether Smith and Outen-Fleming are prosecuted together, whether either defendant seeks a transfer and whether prosecutors allege that only one fired the fatal shot while both took part in the robbery. Police said the teenagers face multiple charges, including murder. The precise counts, bail status and next hearing dates were not immediately detailed in the public announcements reporting their arrests.

Outen-Fleming’s return from Colorado requires an extradition process unless he agrees to be transferred without contest. Extradition generally allows Pennsylvania authorities to take custody after another state confirms the warrant and completes required court procedures. Smith, who surrendered in Philadelphia, remained within the local court system. Prosecutors are expected to present evidence at preliminary proceedings to show that a crime occurred and that each defendant should be held for trial. Those hearings do not decide guilt. The defense will be able to challenge the evidence, question witnesses and contest the government’s account. Neither teenager had entered a publicly reported plea when authorities announced that the manhunt had ended.

The investigation unfolded through a dense network of private cameras mounted on rowhomes and porches. Neighbors provided recordings from different angles, allowing detectives to assemble a sequence that began before the confrontation and continued after the shot. One video showed two young people walking through the area, while another appeared to capture one person crouching near parked vehicles. A gunshot could be heard on footage obtained by a local television station, which muted part of the recording out of respect for Schmidt’s family. Investigators also examined where the two people went after leaving Durfor Street. The publicly released clips did not show every moment clearly, leaving questions about the first contact, the phone’s removal and any words exchanged before Schmidt followed them.

Schmidt lived across the street from the place where he was shot. His father said the distance between the shooting and the family’s front door made the death especially difficult to understand. Officers from Philadelphia’s 1st Police District later visited the family to offer condolences. Flowers, candles and written messages gathered near the roadway as neighbors remembered a young man many had watched grow up. “It’s been brutal,” Bill Schmidt said while discussing the loss. He described his son as a person who did not look for trouble and cared about friends, relatives and neighbors. Residents said the shooting shook a block where families knew one another and routinely shared information from their security cameras.

Schmidt was studying digital journalism and media at Penn State World Campus and expected to graduate in December. His sister, Anna Schmidt, said he hoped to work in sports broadcasting. His father said his son had also talked about working for the Philadelphia Eagles. Penn State said Schmidt was a fourth-semester student from Philadelphia and that university staff had contacted his family. The university described itself as heartbroken by his death. Roman Catholic High School, where Schmidt graduated in 2021, remembered his kindness, character and strong ties to classmates. His obituary described him as loyal, thoughtful and eager to spend time with the people around him.

The arrests changed the family’s immediate focus but did not settle the case. Bill Schmidt had repeatedly said he wanted both people found and held accountable. Prosecutors must now decide how to present the evidence gathered by city detectives and federal partners. Additional surveillance footage, digital records, forensic testing and statements made during the investigation could become part of the proceedings. Officials have not said whether police recovered the weapon, whether either teenager made a statement about the shooting or whether investigators believe other people assisted them afterward. Those questions may be addressed in charging documents, hearings or later court filings.

The case also leaves investigators with the task of separating established evidence from the conclusions drawn from incomplete video. The recordings helped police identify movements, clothing and physical characteristics, but prosecutors will need to connect each defendant to particular actions. They may also have to explain whether the phone was the only property taken, how the confrontation started and what role each teenager allegedly played. Defense attorneys are likely to examine the quality of the images, the reliability of witness identifications and the handling of physical evidence. A court, not the police announcements, will determine whether the state has proved the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.

Smith was in Philadelphia custody and Outen-Fleming was awaiting return from Colorado after their arrests. Authorities had not announced trial dates or released a complete schedule of hearings as of the latest public update. The next major milestones are expected to include Outen-Fleming’s transfer, formal court appearances and the presentation of evidence supporting the murder charges.

Author note: Last updated July 12, 2026.