George Barr was denied bail after authorities accused him of fatally shooting 20-year-old Salis Hanrahan at a Philadelphia home.
PHILADELPHIA — A 75-year-old homeowner has been charged with murder and related offenses in the fatal shooting of a contractor who was working at a house in the city’s Roxborough section, police said Friday.
George Barr is accused of killing 20-year-old Salis Hanrahan on Wednesday afternoon in the 400 block of Ripka Street. Police said Barr also faces charges of possessing an instrument of crime and recklessly endangering another person. The filing of charges moves the case from an initial homicide investigation into the court system, but authorities have not disclosed what they believe led to the shooting.
Officers were sent to Ripka Street at about 2:19 p.m. after receiving a report of a medical emergency. They found Hanrahan suffering from a gunshot wound after he had emerged from the house and collapsed on the sidewalk, according to police accounts.
Medics took Hanrahan to Jefferson Einstein Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 2:45 p.m., police said. Authorities identified him as a construction worker who had been part of a crew doing exterior work at the property.
Other contractors told investigators they had been behind the house installing siding at about 2:15 p.m. when they heard an argument or commotion inside, followed by at least one gunshot. Police said Hanrahan then walked outside before collapsing. The workers did not report seeing the shooting.
Barr was taken into custody after officers arrived. Investigators recovered a firearm from the property, police said. Authorities have not said what type of firearm they believe was used or released details about any forensic testing.
Barr was arraigned Thursday night and denied bail. A murder charge is an accusation, and Barr has not been convicted. Information about an attorney representing him was not immediately available in the reports reviewed Friday.
The shooting occurred while Hanrahan and the other contractors were working at the home. Police have not described the business arrangement between Barr and the crew, whether the two men knew each other before the work began or what happened immediately before the confrontation.
The Philadelphia Police Department’s Homicide Unit continues to investigate. Authorities have not announced additional arrests or released a suspected motive.
Author note: Last updated July 10, 2026.