The wife of the Arizona street preacher and outreach director at Victory Chapel First Phoenix, who was shot in the head while he was preaching before a Wednesday night church service on Nov. 15, gave thanks on Thanksgiving Day for a God who “upholds us during times like this.”
Hans Schmidt, 26, was street preaching on the corner of 51st Avenue and Peoria in Glendale, Arizona, when an unknown, still-at-large assailant shot him in the head. There was a single entry point on the side of his left temple.
According to a GoFundMe set up by family friend Brad Currell, the bullet fired at Schmidt “traveled through his brain and is still inside on the right side of his head.” Currell said that bystanders and witnesses heard neither the gunshot nor which direction it came from.
Video footage from the incident shows that when Schmidt was shot, he “initially fell but got back up and was walking and talking but bleeding.” No one realized what had happened until he started having seizures and vomiting, resulting in him going to the hospital.
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Schmidt remains in critical condition and is currently sedated and stable on life support. Doctors are “draining fluid from his head to relieve pressure on his brain. So far they are saying it’s inoperable. It’s an incredibly sad situation. We are hoping for a miracle,” Currell said.
On Thanksgiving, Zulya, Schmidt’s wife, shared how thankful she was for her husband. The couple share two young children, one of whom was just born in September.
“So much to be grateful for. I am thankful for the amazing husband I got blessed with and all the fun adventures we’ve experienced and will experience,” she posted on Facebook. “You have always made me feel so loved despite my craziness
. You would take care of me and advocated for me when we had our babies.”
“You blessed me with two sweet and beautiful children. You are such a great and fun dad,” Zulya added. “I’ve always loved and admired your humility and willingness to help and serve. I’m grateful for all the love, support, and prayers we have received during this time.”
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