Arizona religious leader and veteran Hans Schmidt fights for his life after he was brutally shot in the head while preaching gospel on a street corner

An Arizona religious leader and veteran is fighting for his life after an unknown gunman shot him in the face as he preached gospel on a street corner.

Hans Schmidt, 26, is the outreach director at Victory Chapel in Glendale and was shot at about 6pm and police say they are still searching for the suspect.

Schmidt's wife, Zulya, wrote a harrowing post on Instagram after the incident pleading with anyone with information to come forward as she prayed for his quick recovery.

'My husband was shot in the head yesterday while street preaching on the corner of 51st Ave and Peoria If anyone has any info please contact 911,' she wrote alongside a picture of the pair smiling.

'Thank you for your prayers. Believing God has the final say. I love you so much babe.'

In another post Zulya wrote: 'I love you my handsome cowboy. Keep fighting papi. We need you!!'

Schmidt's father, Eric, posted about the incident that took place on the evening of Nov 15.

'This is my son, Hans. On the night of Wednesday, Nov 15th 2023, he was shot in the head while attending a church outreach on the street at the intersection of 51st Ave and Peoria in Glendale, AZ,' Eric wrote.

'Single entry point on the side on the left temple. The bullet traveled through his brain and is still inside on the right side of his head. No one heard the shot or saw where it came from.'

Eric said that police and detectives reviewed the intersection video footage which saw the 26-year-old fall before getting back, walking and talking as he bled profusely.

'No one had realized what happened at first. He had started seizures and vomiting and they took him to the hospital,' Eric added.

'At the time of this post, he is sedated and stable on life support. They 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.

'If you have any information about the shooting, please contact the police.'

Police are still searching for the assailant, and it remains unclear if Schmidt was shot by someone inside a vehicle or someone passing by on foot.

Gina Winn of the Glendale Police Department said during a press conference that 'this is a horrible, horrible offense.'

'We have a 26-year-old who was a military medic. He is recently married, he has two small children and he's currently in a critical state.'

Schmidt was taken to hospital shortly after the incident. In a post to their website, Victory Chapel said at the time that he was 'in desperate need of a miracle.'

Two days later, their outlook appeared to have brightened with as they said: 'Family is encouraged by what they are seeing. Please continue to lift Hans up in prayer.'

Victory Chapel started a fund in Schmidt's name for medical expenses and officials are set to interview additional witnesses in their attempt to identify a suspect.