San Francisco police seek witnesses to fatal 2016 SOMA nightclub shooting
Funmi Oyewole asks witnesses to come forward in fatal shooting of son John Sanyaolu at EndUp nightclub on Oct. 2, 2016.
SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) - San Francisco police and family members today asked witnesses to an unsolved fatal shooting at a South of Market night club last year to come forward and help provide a description of suspects.
John Sanyaolu, a 26-year-old Stockton resident, was killed outside the EndUp nightclub at Sixth and Harrison streets shortly before 2:30 a.m. on Oct. 2, 2016 when he came to the aid of friends involved in a fight, police said today.
The shooting, which also injured two male family members, followed an argument with others inside the club that had involved female friends of Sanyaolu, police said.
Members of Sanyaolu's family today asked the public to help solve his murder and bring them closure.
"He was a respectful young man, very loving, very kind, a gentle man whose death has caused me and the rest of my family and friends terrible heartaches and untold hardships," said Funmi Oyewole, Sanyaolu's mother.
Sanyaolu's sister, Whitney Omitade, said he was "more than a brother to me, he was a best friend and a father figure."
"He was the family clown and always smiling and goofing around," Omitade said. "He also had a big heart and was always a person you could reach out to."
"It hurts to know that John will never get to experience life," Omitade said.
Commander Greg McEachern said police do not have solid descriptions of the suspects in the shooting. While there is video surveillance footage from the general area, it does not show the actual shooting, he said.
"We know that somebody in the community saw something," he said. "We need them to come forward and say something to help us solve this tragic homicide."
Sanyaolu's death was one of two fatal shootings at The EndUp last year.
On June 5, 2016, 19-year-old San Francisco resident Sean Ford was shot inside the club and died at the hospital a short time later. Police arrested two men in connection with that shooting but charges against the pair were later dropped after a preliminary hearing.