A sub-postmaster's son shot dead as he tried to defend his family had his life snuffed out in the most horrific way, his mother said yesterday.
As 100 villagers gathered at St Mark's Church in Fairfield, Worcestershire, to remember Craig Hodson-Walker, his mother Judy said his death was a "callous act".
Mr Hodson-Walker, 29, was shot in the chest at his family's post office in the village on Friday morning.
His father Ken, 56, was shot in the leg during the raid at Fairfield Post Office and Stores.
Mrs Hodson-Walker, 56, said: "Craig came down to protect us and fought for what he believed in - his family, friends and the business which he had worked so hard to help us build. I wouldn't wish this feeling on anyone or want them to go through this.
"Any mother, especially the mother of these thugs who did this, if they have any maternal instinct all should stop and think how they would feel."
Mr Hodson-Walker's fiancee Lisa Bundy, 26, and brother James, 27, accompanied Mrs Hodson-Walker to read tributes attached to flowers laid outside the family's post office.
Last night Miss Bundy described her fiance as her "soulmate and best friend". The couple met 10 years ago and became engaged at Christmas.
The teaching assistant, from Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, said in a statement: "I can't even start to describe the pain - it feels like someone has ripped out my insides. It just seems like a bad dream.
"Now I have had my future destroyed. Craig deserves for them to get caught because he didn't deserve to die like that."
West Mercia Constabulary currently have more than 100 officers investigating the shooting of Mr Hodson-Walker.
They now believe four men were involved in the robbery - three went into the store while a fourth, the driver, waited with the silver Volkswagen Golf outside.
The Post Office has offered a reward of £50,000 to catch the men responsible.
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