Philadelphia police identify suspect wanted in killing of off-duty officer Alhassane Barry
Philadelphia police say they have identified the suspect wanted in connection with the fatal shooting of an off-duty officer in the city's Eastwick neighborhood Sunday morning.
Police said while the suspect has been identified, his name will not be released as charges have not been filed at this time.
The shooting happened on Elmwood Avenue near 73rd Street shortly before 4 a.m.
Relatives identified the off-duty officer as 29-year-old Alhassane Barry.
Barry was taken to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center in extremely critical condition and later pronounced dead, Commissioner Kevin Bethel said in a news conference Sunday.
"We continue to ask the community for their prayers. We continue to pray for his family," Bethel said.
The officer's family was at his bedside in his final moments, according to Bethel.
"His life was cut way too short," Bethel said Monday.
Details of the shooting investigation
A 35-year-old man was also hurt in the shooting and taken to the hospital, where he was placed in critical condition.
Surveillance video obtained by CBS News Philadelphia on Monday shows people standing outside on Elmwood Avenue and then taking cover as gunfire erupts.
A man who appears to have been shot can be seen rolling on the ground. His identity is not clear.
The video appears to show police officers pulling up and tending to the man.
Police said no arrests have been made, but on Monday afternoon, they released a photo of the suspect wanted in the shooting. The man is described as 6 feet tall, with a thin-to-medium build, dark complexion and medium-to-bushy cropped hair.
He is believed to be in his mid-to-late 20s and was last seen wearing a black hooded jacket, black pants, a light blue surgical mask, and black sneaker-style boots. He also had a long key chain hanging from the back of his pants and was wearing a large wristwatch.
Shortly before the shooting, the man was seen walking near the area of 73rd Street and Buist Avenue, according to investigators. He was then seen running away from the area and heading southbound on 73rd Street away from Buist Avenue.
"Our hope is once we get these photos out, the individual who's responsible for this turns himself in," Bethel said.
Neighbors said the shooting happened in the area of an after-hours lounge on Elmwood Avenue, but police have yet to confirm that.
Prayers pour in for Philadelphia officer's family
Barry is a member of the department's 12th District and has been a Philadelphia police officer for two years.
Mayor Cherelle Parker said in a social media post she spent time with the officer's family at the hospital.
"I will keep his family and loved ones in my constant prayers, along with the officers and staff of the 12th Police District," she said in the post.
In a statement, Fraternal Order of Police Philadelphia Lodge No. 5 said, "Our thoughts and prayers are with our member's family, friends, and co-workers at this time. We will do everything we can to support the officer's family and support our members and our PPD community."
A funeral was held for Barry on Monday at the Fouta Islamic Center of Philadelphia.
"My brother is a really friendly person. He's really sweet," sister Idiatou Barry said.
His family described Barry as a generous person who made them extremely proud. They're urging for the shooter to turn themselves in.
"This gun violence. We want this to stop," Aissatou Bah, Barry's mother, said. "They have to know they are dying too. They killing each other. So stop it, please."
Bethel said anyone with information should call 215-686-TIPS.
