He was almost home. Two men were waiting. And now his family is pleading with an entire city to help bring them in.

Grieving dad of Penn State student gunned down for phone has haunting message for killers - AOL

Billy Schmidt had spent Friday night the way millions of people spent it — watching the NBA Finals at a neighborhood bar with friends in South Philadelphia. When it was over, he said his goodbyes and started walking home.

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He was 50 feet from his front door.

Two hooded men approached him on the sidewalk and stole his phone. Surveillance footage captured what happened next: Billy demanding they give it back, chasing after them, and then — caught on a second camera from a different angle — a suspect in a black hoodie raising a gun and firing.

Billy Schmidt, 22, a senior studying digital journalism and media at Penn State, was shot in the chest and died near the home where his family still lives.

What the Cameras Caught — and What Was Left Behind

Manhunt underway after college student fatally shot chasing robbers who allegedly stole his phone

Neighborhood surveillance cameras captured the entire sequence. Investigators have since recovered a spent shell casing from the scene and have been canvassing the area for additional footage.

But perhaps the most significant piece of evidence may be the phone itself.

Billy’s father found it shortly after the shooting — lying in the street — and turned it over to police. Investigators are now working to extract DNA from it and determine the origin of a fingerprint found on the device.

“They have a print on the phone,” his father said, “but they don’t know if it’s mine, Billy’s, or the person who threw it. They are trying to get DNA off the phone.”

If the print or DNA belongs to one of the suspects, it could be the break investigators need.

“All This for a Phone?”

For Billy’s family, the facts of what happened are almost impossible to process.

He was unarmed. He was walking home. He was 50 feet away.

“They deserve to spend the rest of their lives in jail for taking away my brother,” his sister said, her voice breaking. “I don’t think anyone will ever understand the pain they have caused. They are animals for doing that to him. He was unarmed. And all this for a phone? It just doesn’t even make sense.”

His father’s message was directed at the city itself.

“We have to clean the city up and stop the violence,” he said. “This can’t happen.”

A Reward and a Vigil

Philadelphia police and the District Attorney’s office are offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction. A vigil is scheduled for Thursday night in South Philadelphia.

Anyone with information is asked to call 215-686-TIPS.

Billy Schmidt was a senior. He was almost done. He was almost home.

Source: Compiled from CBS News reporting and family statements.