Marion Christopher Barry, the son of controversial and beloved former Washington, D.C., Mayor Marion Barry, died early Sunday morning of a drug overdose, reports WTOP.com. He was 36 years old.
Cora Masters Barry, the former mayor’s widow, confirmed Barry's death to NBC4's Tom Sherwood.
Marion C. Barry, who commonly went by “Christopher Barry,” faced minor drug charges in 2011, 2013 and 2014. But he made major headlines in 2015 after an outburst at a PNC Bank. After a clerk refused to give him $20,000—because his account was already overdrawn by $2,000—Barry became irate.
When the clerk asked Barry to leave, he allegedly threatened her and "used a garbage can as an improvised shotput over a barrier, destroying a security camera in the process," according to Washington City Paper.
Barry avoided jail time by pleading guilty in the case. He was ultimately sentenced to 270 days (which were suspended) and 12 months’ probation.
Barry was the only son of Marion and Effi Barry, who divorced in 1993 after 14 years of marriage. Effi passed away in 2007 at the age of 63 from leukemia. Marion died Nov. 23, 2014, at the age of 78.
Marion C. Barry once claimed that he and his father were "more like brothers" but that when he was developing his own drug addiction in 2011, his father was not there when he needed him.
“Him having struggled with drugs, I would have wished he was there more,” Barry said. “But he was more concerned about politics.”
The younger Barry would eventually become sober with the help of former D.C. Ward 1 Councilman Jim Graham, a friend of his father's, who was tasked by the elder Barry with looking after his son. In 2015 he ran for his father's Ward 8 council seat, hoping to carry on the Barry legacy of community service, but he came in sixth place.
Though Marion C. Barry had name recognition, that didn't always work in his favor, something he spoke about during his campaign.
“I grew up here, I’m from here," said the younger Barry at the time. "I know the people here … it’s challenging when some of the people that I thought would be supportive aren’t, but I have a passion for the people in this community."