Glendale police have released surveillance video that shows the moment when Hans Schmidt was shot in the head last month while he was street preaching on the corner of 51st and Peoria Avenue in Glendale, Arizona.
The 26-year-old is a husband, a father of two young children, a military medic veteran, and the current outreach director at Victory Chapel First Phoenix.
On Nov. 15, Schmidt was preaching in an area where he and others from the church frequently evangelize when he was struck by a bullet that traveled through his brain. The bullet is still inside him on the right side of his head.
The outreach director remains in the hospital and is slowly improving. It is still unknown who is responsible for the shooting and why it took place.
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In the video, Schmidt can be seen standing on the street corner near the busy intersection when he suddenly drops to his knees. The video then shows Schmidt getting back to his feet and immediately gathering his belongings.
“It’s odd because all of a sudden you just see him go down in that video. But then he just gets right back up and collects his stuff and eventually ends up back at the church, where they really start noticing some things are wrong, and then get him to the hospital,” Sgt. Randy Stewart said.
“He definitely has a calling to preach,” Schmidt’s father, Eric, told ABC15 Arizona News earlier this week. “He grew up in the church. It’s what he’s known his whole life.”
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Schmidt’s father shared that he never thought anything like this would happen to his son, particularly while he was preaching on the street.
Eric reported that his son continues to improve and “keeps trending positively the way he’s been going. I’m sure it’ll be a long road. He’s still in a delicate condition.” Schmidt has been moved from the ICU to a long-term care facility within the hospital. As of Thanksgiving, Schmidt still wasn’t talking but was able to open his eyes.
