Olatunji W. Bolaji, a 77-year-old male Nigerian-born Uber driver from Norristown, was working in Center City Philadelphia in the early morning hours of April 16, 2025, when a routine pickup outside Byblos Hookah Bar turned deadly. Police said he was parked in a black Chevy Suburban on South 18th Street, near Rittenhouse Square, waiting for a 22-year-old passenger who had just left the lounge shortly before 2 a.m.
The passenger appeared to be saying goodbye to others near Bolaji's SUV when another vehicle pulled up behind them. Investigators said two men got out of a dark-colored or black Jeep Grand Cherokee, possibly bearing Massachusetts license plates, and approached the passenger. Police described some sort of physical altercation just before the shooting began, and investigators believed the younger passenger may have been the target rather than Bolaji. At least one of the men opened fire, sending multiple rounds into the SUV as the passenger tried to get inside.
Bolaji was struck in the head, reportedly by a bullet that went through the headrest, while the 22-year-old passenger was shot multiple times, with wounds reported to his arm, leg, stomach, abdomen, or chest across police and media accounts. Even after being hit, Bolaji managed to drive away from the gunfire, turning onto Chestnut Street before his SUV jumped the curb and crashed into a light pole about a block away. When officers and medics reached the crash scene near 17th and Chestnut streets, Bolaji was found partly outside the driver's seat and was pronounced dead at the scene. The passenger was taken to Jefferson University Hospital in critical condition.
Surveillance video from the area became central to the investigation, capturing the moments before and during the attack. Police said the shooters fled in the Jeep Grand Cherokee, which witnesses last saw leaving the area, and investigators continued working to identify the suspects and establish a motive. As of the most detailed public reports found, no arrests had been made, no suspects had been publicly named, and no charges, trials, or convictions had been reported in Bolaji's killing. Philadelphia police said the Homicide Unit was actively investigating, and a $20,000 reward was available for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
In the days after the shooting, Bolaji was remembered by relatives, neighbors, and friends as a hardworking family man who was simply doing his job when he was caught in violence apparently aimed at someone else. His family described him as a father trying to make a living, while a longtime family friend said Bolaji was kind, helpful, and devoted to his family. A fundraiser was later organized to support funeral and memorial expenses, family living expenses, and counseling for those left grieving after his death.
