The parents of murdered 11-year-old Rhys Jones laid flowers at the scene of the shooting as police made a direct appeal to the killer to "hand yourself in".
Melanie Jones, 41, wept as she read tributes to her "baby", who was gunned down in the Croxteth area of Liverpool on Wednesday evening.
Mrs Jones, clutching a small teddy bear, and her husband Stephen, 44, spent several minutes looking at the flowers.
Speaking at the scene of Wednesday night's shooting, Assistant Chief Constable Patricia Gallan said: "If you are responsible for this crime, come and tell us and hand yourself in."
She also appealed for help from the community.
ACC Gallan described the 11-year-old's killing as "vicious" and said Rhys was "an innocent", adding: "The answers are within the community."
On Thursday night, Mrs Jones begged for help in finding the killer of her "baby".
"Our son was only 11, our baby," said Mrs Jones. "This should not happen, this should not be going on. Please help us. I just want them caught."
Mr Jones said: "We are devastated, we have lost our world, the world has lost a good guy." He added: "It shouldn't happen in this country."
Rhys died after being shot in the neck as he played football with friends outside the Fir Tree pub in Croxteth, Liverpool, at around 7.30pm on Wednesday. Residents said shots were fired by a teenager who rode past the pub on a BMX bike.
