ORLANDO, Fla. — Survivors of gun violence, their families, and law experts are in Orlando on a mission to prevent future tragedies.
The National Center for Victims of Crime hosted its national training institute in Lake Buena Vista. Timothy Schmidt Sr. was one of the speakers at the event.
“A lot of people don’t understand what we’ve been through,” said Schmidt Sr.
Orlando police say Jaylen Edgar shot and killed Timothy Schmidt Jr. and Tyrek Hill during a mass shooting in downtown Orlando last Halloween. Edgar was just 17-years-old at the time.
Schmidt Sr. says he still can’t believe his son is gone.
“It’s one of the things that you never think about until it happens to you,” he said. “When it does, it hits home really hard.”
Even though it’s difficult, he’s made it his life’s mission to prevent other parents from living with the same nightmare. That’s what he spoke about during the training institute on Thursday morning. The Schmidt family started “until forever,” a charity in honor of Schmidt Jr. The organization helps families pay for funeral costs and provides therapy.
The National Center for Victims of Crime’s national training institute will be held at the Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista from September 3rd to the 5th.
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