Marion Christopher Barry, the son of late District of Columbia Mayor Marion Barry, died on Sunday at the age of 36.
The Hampton University alum passed away after a drug overdose, family members told News4’s Tom Sherwood. NBC Washington reported that Barry had struggled with drug use and unsuccessfully ran for a seat on the D.C. Council in a special election in 2015 after his father died.
Barry, who briefly attended Hampton, also briefly attended historically black University of the District of Columbia, but eventually dropped out.
In a statement, Cora Masters Barry, wife of the former mayor, said that the sudden news of Barry’s death “has been devastating news to me” adding her “heart is broken. I am in shock. The news of his death is beyond comprehension.”
R.I.P. Soldier! Gone Too Soon!