A University of Central Florida freshman has been identified as one of two partygoers killed in a mass shooting at a Halloween celebration in Orlando.

Timothy Schmidt Jr. aspired to “follow in his father’s footsteps as a successful businessman” before he was “tragically and innocently murdered,” according to a GoFundMe.

His heartbroken father, Timothy Schmidt Sr., told the Post on Saturday that his 19-year-old son, a talented soccer player, was “one of a kind” and had been raised primarily as a single father since he was 9.

“A month before I dropped him off for his summer session at UCF, he was the best man at my wedding and gave the best speech ever,” his father said. “He made everyone cry. He was my mini-me and my best friend. We had such a special bond.

Schmidt Sr. said he has already received more than 1,000 messages from his son’s grieving friends and relatives.

“He had no bones in his body,” his father said. “He was the kindest soul, always trying to help his friends and uplift his friends.”

Schmidt, known to his family as Tim, was outside The Block, a seven-theater entertainment district in downtown Orlando, on Friday when Jaylen Dwayne Edgar allegedly opened fire on the crowd of thousands of revelers.

“It was a horrible lottery ticket to win,” Timothy Schmidt Sr. said of his son’s random killing. “He was just out with his friends having fun.”

“He was an extraordinary person, a loving son, a caring friend, a talented football player, an extraordinary teammate, a kind soul, a hardworking student and an individual with an extremely warm heart and sense of “Witty humor,” said student Jacob Egozi, who created the fundraiser on behalf of the Alpha Epsilon Pi Nu Delta Central Florida Chapter.

The UCF student government previously said a student was among the two killed, without identifying Schmidt.

“An unjustified act of violence injured several members of our UCF family and took the lives of two people, including a UCF student and a member of our Orlando community,” the school said. said on Facebook.

Schmidt and another 25-year-old man were pronounced dead at Orlando Regional Medical Center following the shooting.

Eight other people, ranging in age from 19 to 39, were rushed to the hospital after the incident with varying degrees of injuries, according to Orlando police.

Two victims were listed in critical condition.

A 26-year-old woman was hospitalized Friday morning after being trampled by a horrified crowd, police said.

Edgar, 17, is accused of pulling out a handgun and shooting into a crowd at the intersection of Orange Ave and Central Blvd. around 1:07 a.m., authorities said.

He ran, then appeared a block away amid the mad rush of crowds on Orange Avenue and Washington Street, where police said he opened fire again.

Officers saw Edgar fire his gun, then attacked the shooter before he could run again, authorities said.

Footage from the officers’ body cameras showed officers yelling at the suspect before arresting him.

“Get on the ground!” » shouted a police officer, with the suspect responding: “It’s not me”, before being arrested.

“I saw him shoot,” an officer said in the clip.

Edgar was charged with two counts of first-degree murder with a firearm and six counts of attempted murder.

The teen, dressed in a white jumpsuit, was escorted from the police department to a waiting squad car Friday.

“Whatever state of mind he was in, he would shoot no matter what,” Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith said Friday. “He passed several officers, we followed him where he came. He knew what he was going to do, what he thought his mind was going to do. »

Edgar could be tried as an adult based on “several aggravating factors,” Orange-Osceola State’s Attorney Andrew Bain said.

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer placed the downtown entertainment district under a state of emergency for a week, forcing businesses to stop selling alcohol at midnight.

“We recognize that there will be impacts to businesses and residents in this area, but the safety of every person who lives, works and visits our downtown is our top priority,” the City of Orlando said.