Workers heard a disturbance inside the Ripka Street home before contractor Salis Hanrahan emerged and collapsed, police said.
PHILADELPHIA — A crew installing siding at a Roxborough home was working behind the property when a disturbance and gunfire inside the house preceded the death of a 20-year-old contractor, according to police accounts of the shooting.
Salis Hanrahan was fatally wounded Wednesday afternoon at the house in the 400 block of Ripka Street. Police have since charged the homeowner, 75-year-old George Barr, with murder, possession of an instrument of crime and recklessly endangering another person. Investigators have not publicly explained what prompted the encounter.
Members of the construction crew told officers they were outside behind the house at about 2:15 p.m., putting siding on the property. They reported hearing an argument or other commotion inside, followed by at least one gunshot, police said.
Hanrahan then came out of the house and collapsed on the sidewalk. Officers responding at about 2:19 p.m. found him suffering from a gunshot wound, authorities said. Medics transported him to Jefferson Einstein Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 2:45 p.m.
The accounts from the other workers provided investigators with part of the sequence but did not explain what happened inside. Police have not said whether anyone witnessed the shooting, what was discussed during the reported disturbance or why Hanrahan entered the home.
Officers took Barr into custody at the scene. Investigators also recovered a firearm from the property. Authorities have not released further information about the weapon or said whether additional evidence was collected from the house.
The killing brought a large police response to a residential block that neighbors described to local news outlets as normally quiet. Residents said the crew had been working at the property before the shooting, with no publicly known reports of earlier trouble.
Barr was arraigned Thursday night and denied bail. The charges against him remain allegations, and prosecutors will have to prove the case in court. No information about his next hearing was included in the reports available Friday.
Police have not disclosed whether investigators believe the shooting arose from the construction work, a financial dispute or another issue. They also have not described the nature of any prior contact between Barr and Hanrahan.
The Homicide Unit remains responsible for the investigation. No other suspects or charges had been announced as of Friday.
Author note: Last updated July 10, 2026.