Marion Barry Jnr, son of former Washington D.C mayor, dies from drug overdose at 36

Marion Christopher Barry Jnr, son of a late Washington D.C. mayor, has died after a drug overdose. The only son of Marion Barry Snr, who served as mayor of Washington, D.C, from 1979 to 1990, was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead on August 13th. Although no official cause of death has been announced, family members revealed to the Press that it was a fatal overdose of drugs.

Marion Barry Snr's career as a civil rights leader and prominent politician was tarnished after he was caught smoking crack in a downtown Washington hotel room with a young woman in 1990. That  however didn't stop him from returning to politics, before passing away in 2014 at the age of 78.

Unfortunately, his son also struggled with drug abuse and was unsuccessful while trying to also pursue a political career. Cora Masters Barry, wife of the former mayor, issued a statement which read,

'Christopher's sudden death has been devastating news to me. My heart is broken. I am in shock. The news of his death is beyond comprehension. I would like to thank everyone for their concern and support. I would also like to send my condolences to Mrs. Polly Lee Harris, Christopher's grandmother, for the loss of her only grandchild.'