In the early hours of a March morning in Philadelphia's Germantown neighborhood, Jeffrey Johnson, a 58-year-old male employee of the Delmar Bar & Lounge, was fatally shot. The incident occurred on March 25, 2019, inside the establishment located on the 300 block of West Chelten Avenue. A man, who had been posing as a customer, waited until only a bartender and Johnson remained in the bar at around 2 a.m.
before he announced a robbery.
Surveillance footage captured the moments leading up to the tragic event. The assailant ordered Johnson to lock the door. When Johnson hesitated for a moment, the gunman fired a single shot, striking him in the chest. After shooting Johnson, the suspect proceeded to check his pockets and then robbed the bartender of approximately $200 before fleeing the scene. Jeffrey Johnson was transported to Einstein Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. He was remembered by his sister as a quiet and gentle man who would have been humbled by the outpouring of support from the community.
An investigation by the Philadelphia police led to the identification and arrest of a suspect. Robert Lumpsin, 25 years old at the time, was taken into custody on March 22 on the 700 block of Race Street. He was subsequently charged with the murder of Jeffrey Johnson. The police described the suspect as a dangerous individual with no regard for human life, who had killed Johnson for a small amount of money. Friends and family of Johnson held an emotional vigil to remember him.
