A father of four who was shot dead in front of his home and died in hospital on his 39th birthday was honored.
Haroon Zeb’s relatives said the death of the “beautiful soul” shocked his family and led to grief in the local community, including among his many old school friends.
Mr Zeb, from Queens Cross, Dudley, West Midlands, worked as a manager for a taxi company and came home after a shift around 12:35 p.m. on Sunday when he was shot dead.
Dudley shoots victim Haroon Zeb. (West Midlands Police / PA)
In a police statement, his family said, “Haroon was a beautiful son, brother, father, a true icon of the world.
“He eased the burdens of everyone he knew, and his lovely smile lit every room he went into.
“Today we mourn our hero, who is very much missed. Forever in our hearts rest peacefully Haroon. We will love and miss you forever and your memories will always be engraved on our hearts. “
His cousin Shaz Saleem, chairman of the Dudley Private Hire and Taxi Association, told the PA news agency that the victim was about to open his front door to go inside when faced with a “cowardly” attack.
Mr. Saleem said of Mr. Zeb, “He was a beautiful soul, people loved him. It didn’t matter how you feel … this man could make you laugh out of nowhere.
“He was such a character, such a wonderful guy. It’s so sad that everyone he knew is crying. “
Police at the scene in Queens Cross, Dudley, on Sunday (Matthew Cooper / PA)
Mr. Saleem appealed to anyone with information about the murder to contact detectives working on the investigation, adding, “The police work incredibly hard, but we believe in them and we know they are prosecuting these people Will face court.
“It was a cowardly act. If anyone has any information, please get in touch. That shouldn’t be happening in our town – it’s utterly scary and ridiculous that we have gun crimes in Dudley. “
In a statement on his Facebook page, Mr. Saleem added, “It is with incredible sadness that I have to inform you of the death of my cousin Haroon Zeb, son of Chairman Chaudary Mohammad Aurangzeb (Chairman of the Dudley Central Mosque).
The story goes on
“This man was loved by everyone, when you met him, you never forgot him, he was guaranteed to make you smile, but today it’s not just my family who mourn, thousands feel our pain.”
Police are raiding nearby property (Matthew Cooper / PA)
Detectives are investigating CCTV and have filed an appeal for dashcam footage.
West Midlands Police Detective Chief Inspector Jim Munro said, “Haroon’s death is just tragic, my thoughts are with his family and friends at this very sad time.
“Our investigation continues briskly as we try to understand what happened.
“I would urge anyone with information to contact us as soon as possible.”
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