Gabby Petito's stepfather trains first responders at Henrico hospital
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A father whose stepdaughter was murdered in a high-profile domestic violence case is now training first responders to recognize the warning signs that could save lives.
Jim Schmidt, co-founder of the Gabby Petito Foundation, was in Henrico Oct. 24 training emergency workers to identify signs of domestic violence and strangulation. Schmidt's 22-year-old stepdaughter, Gabby Petito, was strangled to death by her fiancé during a cross-country road trip in 2021.
The former firefighter partnered with the Bon Secours St. Mary's Violence Response Team to educate emergency workers about strangulation, one of the most under-reported forms of abuse.
"It's really raw and emotional, so it always starts with our story and why I'm there, and then we get into what domestic violence really looks like," Schmidt said. "We talk a lot about the non-physical forms of abuse, power and control, how that leads towards physical violence and eventual homicide."
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