The Associated Press
Police charged a 21-year-old man with murder and accused him of driving the getaway car in a botched robbery that led to the shooting death of a pizza delivery man. Taken into custody Tuesday was Robert D. Adams of Syracuse. City police told The Post Standard of Syracuse they were looking for the gunman they identified as Dominick "D Murder" Dennard of New York City.
Simeon Popov, 27, of Sofia, Bulgaria, was shot to death when he walked in on an armed robbery while working as a pizza shop delivery man Sunday night, Syracuse police Sgt. Tom Connellan said. According to police, Popov was delivering barbecued chicken wings to an apartment near the Syracuse University campus.
A masked man was holding three residents at gunpoint, police said. The suspect demanded that Popov surrender his money, then shot him once in the head, killing him, witnesses told police. It was Popov's second day on the job.
Police said the suspects targeted the apartment where Popov was killed because they believed they would find money for a large marijuana deal. The only money stolen was the cash Popov had with him. Authorities said a video-game system, videodiscs and cellphones were taken from the apartment.
"Everybody's a mess today," Bill Harris, a professor of trombone at Syracuse's Setnor School of Music, who worked closely with Popov. "He had all sorts of bright, bright hopes snuffed out in an instant." Popov aspired to be a trombone teacher or manage his own orchestra.
University spokesman Kevin Morrow said a campus memorial service was planned for Thursday. Popov's trombone and a Bulgarian flag will be displayed during the service, Morrow said. Morrow said arrangements were being worked out to fly Popov's body to his parents in Bulgaria. They will not be attending the memorial, Morrow said.
Students in the music program gathered Monday and Tuesday at the Crouse Building, where counselors and a chaplain were available to talk with them, Morrow said.
"It's really a terrible shock. They're pretty tight-knit," said Joseph Downing, director of the music school, which has about 175 students, including 25 graduate students.
Sophomore Greg Hernandez of Fulton also plays trombone and saw Popov almost every day.
Popov was interested in pop culture and would often spout out the latest rap lyrics he had heard, prompting smiles or laughter from his peers, Hernandez said. "He loved to joke around," he said.
Harris said Popov had a bright future ahead of him. He had a strong work ethic and a passion for music. On holidays when other students went home to their families, Harris welcomed Popov to his home.
"Everyone loved him. People flocked to him. He just had a magnetic personality," Harris said. "This is so senseless. He had so much potential. He could have done anything."
Popov would have received his master's degree in music in May and was interested in pursuing a doctorate in musical arts, Harris said.
Popov enrolled at the university last August coming to Syracuse to visit his childhood friend, Lubomir Kalaptchiev. "He was the greatest guy. He was my best friend. He never did anything bad. He always wanted peace," said Kalaptchiev, who knew Popov since they were 4 years old. Popov lived a short time in Louisiana, where he learned English and took classes at Louisiana State University, Kalaptchiev said. He then returned to Bulgaria and joined an orchestra that traveled throughout Europe, he said. Popov moved to Syracuse in 1999, Kalaptchiev said. "He was like my brother. He was always happy. He wanted to have a good life," Kalaptchiev said.
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