Two Philadelphia-area men with a well-documented history of disagreements over the years had their final one on the evening of Saturday (June 8) — involving a racist tirade and murder.
Maurice Byrd, the 41-year-old owner of Razor Reese’s Salon and Spa in Hatboro, Penn., called the police saying he was being “verbally assaulted” by Stephen Strassburg while at his shop.
During the call, Byrd said Strassburg charged at him and grabbed his shirt, provoking Byrd to retrieve his weapon. Byrd has a permit to carry a firearm, according to a Hatboro Police Department press release.
“I just had to shoot him,” Byrd told the 911 dispatcher after allegedly firing seven shots at Strassburg outside of the salon. Just before the shots, the dispatcher overheard 37-year-old Strassburg saying, “You going to shoot me, n***er?”
The operator reportedly “heard five gunshots, then a pause, followed by two additional gunshots.” They also reportedly heard Strassburg called Byrd a “dirty n***er.” A witness said Strassburg also called Byrd a “drug dealer.”
Byrd confessed to the dispatcher that his shots hit Strassburg. He remained on the phone with the dispatcher until police arrived at the scene, where they found Strassburg with gunshots to his face, shoulder, and back. He was rushed to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
According to the Atlanta Black Star, police have been called several times to handle disputes between Byrd and Strassburg, who lived above his shop. The men were told by authorities to stay away from each other to avoid further conflicts.
Although the cause for their most recent interaction remains unknown to the public, a witness told police that Byrd, who is Black, was standing outside his shop when Strassburg, who was white, started yelling racial slurs at him, reports The Philly Burbs.
Boyd was arrested and charged with first degree murder, third degree murder, and possessing an instrument of crime. He will not receive bail for his first-degree murder charges.