Philadelphia Police Release Video Of Suspect Who Fatally Shot Longtime Bar Employee During Robbery
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PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A deadly shooting at a bar in Philadelphia's Germantown neighborhood was caught on camera Thursday. Now, police need your help identifying the gunman who killed a bar back.
Jeff Johnson worked at the lounge for decades. So many people Eyewitness News spoke to said Johnson would often go out of his way to help others. Police say the gunman is a cold-blooded killer for murdering a man over $200.
"The individual is clearly a very dangerous person who has no regard for human life," Philadelphia Police Capt. Jason Smith said.
Police describe the suspect as a light-skinned black or Hispanic man in his 20s, 5-foot-8 to 5-foot-10, with a thin to medium build. They say he had a distinctive goatee that was long enough to braid and was wearing dark-colored clothing and sneakers.
A single gunshot rang out inside the DelMar Lounge in Germantown, striking 58-year-old Johnson in the chest, killing him as security cameras captured the shooting.
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Neighbor Mitchell Saunders said Johnson was well known in the area, having worked at the bar for decades.
"It's sad," Saunders said. "The crime around here is getting terrible, it's getting really bad."
Police say the gunman first posed as a customer, waiting for the DelMar Lounge to close around 2 a.m. That's when Johnson was escorting people out of the bar.
Police also say the suspect waited until there were no customers left, and then ordered Johnson to lock the door.
"Mr. Johnson appeared to hesitate for a second, at which time the offender fired a single gunshot at Mr. Johnson, striking him in the chest," Smith said.
As Johnson bled out, police say the suspect checked his pockets. The gunman then robbed a bartender of $200. The bartender was left unharmed.
"You gonna kill somebody for a few dollars?" Saunders asked.
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Balloons were left in Johnson's memory outside the bar Thursday. Friends of Johnson have a message for his killer.
"Turn yourself in," longtime friend Willie Wilcher said. "When they catch you, they're gonna put you away."
Police have a $20,000 reward for information that leads to a conviction.
