On the evening of Thursday, November 4, 2021, 56-year-old Constance Marshall and 31-year-old Irene McNair were shot and killed inside an illegal speakeasy run out of an abandoned church on the 1900 block of Ridge Avenue in North Philadelphia. Around 7:45 p.m., a gunman fired multiple shots from the sidewalk into the building; investigators believe a partially open door allowed bullets to strike the two women who were just inside. Paramedics pronounced both dead at the scene.

The building had been the subject of complaints and city action for operating as an illicit drinking spot; police found a generator running and coolers of alcohol inside. A man who was present and believed to have been running the establishment remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators. Reports indicate an earlier altercation at a nearby laundromat involving Marshall, with McNair reportedly trying to de-escalate before they went into the speakeasy and the shooter followed.

No arrests have been announced. If anyone has information about what happened that night or knew Constance Marshall, please contact the Philadelphia Police homicide unit.