Tarek Chaiboub died on Friday afternoon when he was shot in Frenchies barber shop in the Burngreave area of Sheffield.

Police believe the murder could be gang-related and have said they think Tarek himself could have been armed with a gun.

His father Rashid Chaiboub told a police press conference in Sheffield he was proud of his son but his "destiny" was being shaped by others.

In a statement read by a senior police officer he said: "Our son Tarek was growing up as a self confident shining boy with an independent personality which I was proud of.

"But I did not realise that his destiny was shaping outside of my hands because he was not sharing much of his thoughts and feelings with us as a family.

"My message to parents is do not rely too much on the independence of your kids. Get closer to them. Kids remain kids."

Mr Chaiboub sat next to the officer as the statement was read.

Police said today they are particularly looking for three men seen leaving the area wearing dark clothes and hooded tops. One was carrying a gun and another had a scarf across his face.

Sheffield police commander Chief Supt Paul Broadbent urged people who were posting messages on the Bebo social networking website to also get in touch with detectives.

In his statement, Mr Chaiboub told the press conference: "Tarek was a polite, generous and likeable kid.

"He was very popular amongst his peers and was truly loved by everyone who knew him.

"Sadly, however, and for reasons unbeknown to us, his life was cut short.

"We were shocked and could not imagine what could have led to such a tragic end.

"I still feel short of words to describe my feelings and the feelings of his mother, who is lying unconscious under medical care in Syria following this event."

Police confirmed today that Tarek was the victim of a knife attack near his home in the Wincobank area of Sheffield only five days before his death.

He was taken to hospital after he had been "webbed" - repeatedly stabbed in his legs and lower body, causing minor injuries.

Earlier, his father told the Sheffield Star Tarek had only been out of hospital for two days when he was killed.

Chef Mr Chaiboub, who has another son and two daughters, told the paper his son had changed about six months ago.

"He stopped listening to me," he said. "I didn't know anything about my son after that, he was in a different world.

"Twice, I found a knife on him and, each time, I took it off him."

Tarek was shot at about 1.45pm on Friday when the Burngreave area of Sheffield was busy, police said.

He staggered out of the hairdresser's and collapsed on the street.

The scene of the shooting is just a few streets from where 16-year-old Jonathan Matondo was shot dead in October last year. After that tragedy details emerged of rivalry between street gangs named after the S3 and S4 postcodes in the area.

Officers said today that there was no evidence to link Tarek's killing with Jonathan's murder or the death of 23-year-old Brett Blake who was stabbed to death in a Sheffield nightclub in June.

Mr Broadbent told the press conference: "There have been many speculations about the motive, the reason or the circumstances surrounding such a tragic loss of life.

"What I can tell you is that no stone will be left unturned.
"If, among hypotheses, there is a gang issue involved in this incident, that will be pursued to the full extent of the law."

The senior officer said his staff were "appalled" by the shooting.
Mr Broadbent said Sheffield had a gang prevention strategy which was active and had just received £500,000 of Government funding.

Referring to gang-related activity, he said: "This isn't big. This isn't clever. This is serious stuff we're talking about. This just isn't the way forward."

He said the aim was to "break the cycle of criminal glamorisation that some of these poor young kids feel".

Detective Superintendent Neil Jessop, who is leading the investigation, said the response of the community had been "excellent" so far.

He said the individuals police are looking for ran up Spital Street but then disappeared.

The detective confirmed that a handgun was found near Tarek's body but could not yet confirm whether it was his.

Mr Jessop said around 40 officers were working on the case.

A post-mortem examination showed Tarek was shot in the back.