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A Philadelphia man shot and killed his white neighbor who called him the N-word amid a longstanding dispute between the two.
According to New York Daily News, Maurice Byrd, owner of Razor Reese's Salon and Spa, is facing charges of first-degree murder in connection to the fatal shooting of Stephen Strassburg, his neighbor in Hatboro.
Police said Byrd was on the phone with 911 operators on Saturday (June 8) when Strassburg was heard in the background saying, “What are you going to do, you going to shoot me [N-word]?”
According to authorities, Byrd then shot Strassburg multiple times, telling dispatchers "I just had to shoot him."
Prior to the shooting, Byrd and Strassburg, who lived above the owner's salon, had been engaged in a dispute for months. Police were called to de-escalate disputes between them three times in the past 18 months.
Cops had ordered that the pair stay away from each other, but a witness said Strassburg called Byrd "a drug dealer" and used the N-word on Saturday.
On the day of the shooting, Byrd said he called 911 to report Strassburg for "verbal assault." Strassburg entered Byrd's salon and again hurled the N-word. He exited the business and was followed out by Byrd, who shot him.
Byrd is also facing charges of third-degree murder and possession of a weapon. He is reportedly in jail without bond.
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