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The man who was fatally shot in Danville on Sunday afternoon has been identified as 76-year-old John Moore, a local man who was found dead by police at Fostoria Way after sustaining gunshot wounds, according to the Contra Costa County Coroner’s Office.
Danville Police Chief Allan Shields said Monday that police have identified the suspected gunman and a warrant has been issued for the arrest of Mark Allan Sypien, 51, whose last known address was in Dublin. Detectives are requesting residents with any information related to the shooting or the whereabouts of Sypien to contact authorities.
Moore’s body was discovered behind a commercial building he owned at the end of Fostoria Way, behind Crow Canyon Medical Center, according to his sister-in-law Patti Rinetti.
“He was a great guy he was loved by everybody, a really prominent person in the community, who didn’t have an enemy in the world,” Rinetti said during an interview at the property on Monday morning. “We’re just in shock right now, he’s such a great guy and were all just trying to process it right now. It’s just hard to believe that he’s gone, it’s just crazy.”
Police first received a call around 2:25 p.m. Sunday, reporting gunshots in the 3400 block of Fostoria Way, in a business park near the Danville-San Ramon border. Arriving officers found Moore dead from gunshot wounds.
Police have described Sypien as a white man standing 5-foot-9 and weighing 185 pounds, with gray hair and green eyes. He was last seen driving a 2003 silver Ford Escape with Illinois license plate No. 1008122.
Additional details about the case, including a potential motive, have not been been released by investigators.
“I only met with (Moore) a few times, but he was well loved,” said Donny Bryant, who works in the area. “It’s scary knowing it only happened a few feet from our office.”
Bryant added that police have received tapes from the video cameras on the outside of his building — which is located adjacent to the crime scene — but he was not sure if his cameras captured anything helpful. The building nearest to where Moore was killed is equipped with cameras of its own and hopefully they will have caught something, Bryant pointed out.
Moore was a member of the Rotary Club of Danville, and according to Rinetti, is survived by three adult children, as well as a “bunch” of grandkids, nieces and nephews.
“The service I’m sure is just going to be enormous. The calls we’re getting from everyone; he was very involved in the community and its crazy the amount of love. It just shows you who he was. The sympathy that has been pouring into the family, was just overwhelming,” Rinetti added.
Police are requesting that anyone with information on the case or the location of Sypien contact detectives at 314-3702. Anonymous tips can also be forwarded to police via Nixle by texting “Tip DanPD” and your tip to 888777.
I knew and worked with John Moore for 20+ years. This is a senseless crime, and it saddens me to know that John is no longer with us. He was a kind and caring man who did not deserve this fate.