Authorities said one 16-year-old suspect was taken into custody in Colorado while another remains wanted in Philadelphia.
PHILADELPHIA, PA — A 16-year-old wanted in the killing of Penn State student Billy Schmidt was arrested Wednesday in Colorado, while a second teen suspect remained at large, Philadelphia police and federal authorities said.
The arrest marked the first major break in the June 6 shooting, which killed the 22-year-old Penn State senior near his family’s home in South Philadelphia. Police said arrest warrants had been issued for Azzubair Outen-Fleming and Kaiseem Smith, both 16, in a case investigators have described as an attempted robbery that turned deadly.
Philadelphia Police Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore said Outen-Fleming was arrested in Colorado after federal marshals tracked him through family ties in the Colorado Springs area. Vanore said the teen is being charged with murder. Authorities said Smith remained wanted Wednesday night. The U.S. Marshals Service offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to Smith’s arrest. Officials said Smith, a Wilmington native, is about 4 feet 10 inches tall and 110 pounds and has been known to spend time near 27th and Reed streets in Philadelphia.
Schmidt was shot about 1:30 a.m. June 6 in the 1900 block of Durfor Street, a residential stretch in South Philadelphia. Family members said he had been walking home after watching an NBA Finals game with friends at a nearby bar. Investigators said surveillance video helped identify the suspects and showed the moments before the shooting. In one clip described by police, a person appears to throw a cellphone before another person runs around a corner, with Schmidt following. Police said the gunman then turned and shot Schmidt in the chest.
Officials have not said which teen they believe fired the shot, and they have not released a full account of each suspect’s alleged role. Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said the investigation remained active after warrants were issued. Prosecutors said the teens were expected to face charges including murder, criminal conspiracy, robbery, illegal possession of a firearm and related counts. Authorities also said Outen-Fleming’s stepfather was taken into custody on allegations that he helped the teen hide.
Schmidt’s death drew wide attention in Philadelphia and at Penn State, where he was a senior. His family has described him as kind and close to home, and his father, Bill Schmidt, said his son had not bothered anyone before he was killed. Police first released images and video of the suspects earlier in June, then announced the names of the two teens after investigators obtained warrants. The case moved from a neighborhood shooting investigation into a multistate manhunt when authorities said one suspect had fled to Colorado.
Federal marshals and Philadelphia police continued the search for Smith after Outen-Fleming’s arrest. Officials said the remaining suspect should be considered wanted in a homicide case, and investigators were still working to determine where he went after the shooting. Outen-Fleming’s return to Pennsylvania will depend on extradition procedures in Colorado. Court dates had not been announced Wednesday night, and it was not immediately clear whether either teen had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.
Neighbors on Durfor Street had provided surveillance video to police after the shooting, helping investigators piece together the final moments before gunfire. The video captured voices near the scene and what sounded like Schmidt asking for his phone back, according to accounts of the footage. The shooting happened only yards from the home where his family lived, turning a late walk home into a homicide investigation that has stretched across several weeks and hundreds of miles.
As of Wednesday night, Outen-Fleming was in custody in Colorado and Smith remained the focus of a federal and local search. Philadelphia authorities said more details would depend on the ongoing investigation, extradition steps and the filing of formal court records.
Author note: Last updated July 2, 2026.