Hatboro police say ongoing argument between men ended in murder

The owner of a hair salon in Hatboro is suspected of shooting a man who allegedly yelled racist abuse and attacked him while the suspect was on the phone with 911.

Maurice Byrd, 41, of Horsham, was on the phone with a 911 dispatcher shortly before 6 p.m. Saturday when the victim, Stephen Strassburg, 37, was heard yelling racist abuse at Byrd, according to the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office.

“What are you going to do? You want to shoot me,” Strassburg said before yelling a racist slur at Byrd, according to a probable cause affidavit.

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Immediately afterwards, the operator heard a volley of five shots, followed by a pause and two more shots.

Byrd then told the operator that he “had to shoot Strasburg,” who lived above Byrd’s business in the 220 block of North York Road, where the shooting occurred, police reported.

On Sunday, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele announced that his office had charged Byrd with first-degree murder, first-degree murder and possession of a murder weapon. He was remanded to the Montgomery County Correctional Center without bail.

Hatboro police found Strassburg in the parking lot of Razor Reese’s Salon and Spa with gunshot wounds to the face, collarbone and back. He was taken to Abington-Jefferson Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Montgomery County investigators recovered seven shell casings and a Smith & Wesson 9mm semi-automatic pistol at the scene. Byrd has a valid permit to carry a firearm, authorities said.

Byrd and Strassburg did not get along, but authorities did not release details about the ongoing problems between the men.

Hatboro police were called to the address three times in the past 18 months because of verbal altercations, the affidavit states. Each time, police warned the men to keep their distance from each other, the affidavit states.

A neighbor who lives in the building told authorities he saw Byrd and a man later identified as Strassburg arguing Saturday night. The witness was sitting on his balcony, which overlooks the parking lot where the barbershop is located.

The witness said Strasburg called Byrd a “drug dealer” and then walked around the corner and out of sight, authorities said. A short time later, Strasburg returned and yelled racist abuse at Byrd before attacking him, the witness told police.

The witness said he believed Strassburg was going to physically attack Byrd and returned to his apartment, where he heard several gunshots, the affidavit states.

After hearing the gunshots, the witness returned to the balcony and saw Byrd with a firearm in his hand near Strasburg, who was lying motionless on the ground, the affidavit said.

The witness’s girlfriend, who was with him on the balcony, told police that she also observed the argument between Byrd and Strassburg, but she did not hear what was said.

She also told authorities she saw Strassburg approach Byrd in an “aggressive manner” and begin a physical altercation with Byrd, the affidavit states. She then heard several gunshots and saw Strassburg lying on the ground.

Strasbourg appeared to be unarmed, both witnesses said.

In a police interview, Byrd said he was standing outside his barber shop on Saturday night smoking a cigarette when Strassburg spotted him and shouted a racist slur at him.

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