An off-duty Philadelphia police officer is dead after he and another man were shot outside a lounge in Southwest Philadelphia early Sunday morning.
Investigators say the gunfire broke out near 73rd Street and Elmwood Avenue just before 4 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026.
The officer, 29-year-old Alhassane Barry, was hit multiple times along with a 35-year-old man whose identity has not been released. Both were rushed to a nearby hospital, where Barry later died from his injuries. The second victim remains in critical condition.
Officers taped off the block for hours as they worked to piece together what happened. Surveillance footage recovered from the area shows a fight breaking out moments before the shots were fired. A firearm was recovered at the scene, though police have not said yet whether it belonged to either victim or someone else involved.
The shooting happened outside an after-hours lounge that has a long history of run-ins with the city. Records from the Department of Licenses and Inspections show violations going back to at least 2021, including operating without the proper permit for an after-hours smoke lounge. The property was flagged as a “nuisance” as recently as January 2026 and again in November 2025.
Neighbors say the complaints are nothing new.
“It’s been open for about five or six years, and it’s always been a nuisance complaint,” one neighbor said, adding that noise from the music has drawn repeated calls over the years.
The building’s owner has not yet been reached for comment. One person who said they’d visited the lounge before described it simply as a late-night spot where people go to unwind.
Barry served in the Philadelphia Police Department’s 12th District and had two years on the force. Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel addressed the department’s loss during a press conference, saying Barry’s colleagues and family were being supported through what he called “very difficult moments.”
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and City Council President Kenyatta Johnson both issued statements Sunday, offering condolences to Barry’s family and the 12th District, and renewing calls to address gun violence citywide.
No arrests have been made. A funeral for Officer Barry is scheduled for Monday — a quick timeline that reflects Islamic burial traditions calling for a swift return of the body to the earth.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Philadelphia Police Department’s tip line at 215-686-TIPS (8477), or submit tips anonymously online.