Young man shot dead in Sheffield 'was a voluntary worker and peacemaker'

Aseel Al-Essaie had a 'bright future' ahead of him, said a family friend

Up to 1,200 people attended Al Rahman Mosque & Cultural Centre, in Pitsmoor, on Thursday afternoon to pay their respects to Aseel Al-Essaie.

Crowds stretched up the pavement, with mourners laying mats and pieces of cardboard on the tarmac so they could kneel in prayer outside the packed mosque in Gower Street.

Mourners knelt on the pavement outside in prayer as the mosque was full

Aseel was shot as he arrived for a family gathering in Daniel Hill, Upperthorpe, on February 18, to celebrate his twin sister's engagement. The 23-year-old former Tapton School pupil died in hospital later that day.

Mohsin Obaid, a family friend who attended the funeral, said Aseel had been a hugely popular young man, who had a winning smile and was always willing to help others.

"He was one of the nicest, sweetest boys you could hope to meet. He wasn't a violent man. He was a peacemaker," said Mohsin.

"He always had a smile. He had a bright future and he was just a child really, with his whole life in front of him.

Aseel's coffin is carried into the mosque

"This is the biggest turnout there has ever been for a funeral here, which shows how popular he was."

Mr Obaid told how Aseel had volunteered at the mosque, which was built using money from his grandfather, to help local youths.

He said Aseel also helped run a family coffee shop near his home in Upperthorpe, which was named the Yafai Café after the village in Yemen where his ancestors came from.

Prayers rang out from the mosque as people of all ages gathered to bid Aseel a tearful farewell.