The father of murdered Democratic National Committee staffer Seth Rich said his son was dedicated to making a difference in the world as the family prepared to hold his funeral on Wednesday.

The 27-year-old was shot multiple times at 4.20am on Sunday, a block from his home in the quiet Bloomingdale neighborhood of Washington, DC.

His funeral was held today at Beth El Synagogue in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska.

His father, Joel Rich, 68, told Daily Mail Online: ‘He was a 27-year-old who wanted to make a difference. That’s part of the reason he went into his line of work, helping with the political process.

Seth Rich, director of voter expansion for the Democratic National Committee, was gunned down in a street at 4am on Sunday. His funeral is due to take place today at 10am at Beth El Synagogue in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska

Rich's father, Joel Rich, 68, here with Seth's mother Mary, told Daily Mail Online that his son wanted to make a difference in the world with his work in politics

Seth Rich's funeral was held today at Beth El Synagogue in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska. Pictured above, mourners load the casket of Rich into a hearse

Mourners at Bethel El Synagogue in Omaha load a casket holding Rich's body into a hearse following the the 27-year-old's funeral

Police looked on outside the synagogue as Rich's casket was put into the hearse following his funeral

Mourners walk beside Rich's casket as it's wheeled out of the synagogue following a funeral on Wednesday

‘He had worked for candidates whose vision he felt was going to help the country get better.

‘He was working on that now, and whether he ever wanted to run, I would not say no. He wanted to stay involved and he wanted to make a difference.

‘What we’re feeling is that his vision is going to be unfulfilled. He was so capable, he would have been able to make a difference, I think.’

Police had no updates in the murder investigation on Wednesday. So far there are no suspects or witnesses but police are examining surveillance footage from the surrounding area.

Joel Rich said he believes his son may have been the victim of a botched robbery as his watch, wallet and credit cards were not taken.

The father said he did not know where his son was walking home from in the early hours.

‘He was talking to his girlfriend on the phone. He was a couple of blocks from home,’ he said.

Rich had rented an apartment with three roommates in a red-brick townhouse on a well-kept, tree-lined street.

One woman held a hand to her face as she walked out of Rich's funeral as others gathered by the synagogue's entrance

Friends and family members comforted one another outside the Omaha synagogue following Rich's funeral

Rich, pictured center, was described by friends as quiet, soft-spoken and focused on his work but had a great sense of humor

There are no suspects or witnesses to Rich's (pictured second from left) death, but police are examining surveillance footage from the surrounding area.

Joel Rich said his son felt safe in the residential neighborhood.

‘We talked to his roommates and they walk that area. He frequently called us as he was walking home from an evening out,' he said.

He added: ‘It was not a dangerous neighborhood as far as he was concerned or we were concerned.’

Friends of Seth, who was director of voter expansion for the DNC, said that Bloomingdale was ‘safe and friendly’ and it was not uncommon for him to walk home late and alone from nearby neighborhood bars or his girlfriend’s apartment in Columbia Heights, a couple of miles away.

‘He was basically home,’ one friend told Daily Mail Online. ‘You don’t expect that to happen.’

However the corner on which Seth was shot has had a number of attacks in the past two months and police are looking into whether the murder and recent crime spree are linked.

According to the DC Metropolitan Police Department, there were two robberies in the area in the hour prior to Rich’s shooting.

Rich lived in a red-brick townhouse on a well-kept, tree-lined street in the Bloomingdale neighborhood in Washington, DC, where his father said he felt safe

Police had no updates in the murder investigation on Wednesday, Rich, pictured left

Describing himself on LinkedIn, Rich wrote: 'I have an enormous interest in public service and working towards making the world a better place'

One of his roommates said Seth was likely walking home from his girlfriend's house when he was shot. Rich had rented an apartment with three roommates

Over four days in June, a woman was carjacked and three people were robbed at gunpoint on Flagler Place, close to where Rich was shot.

Due to the incidents, an extra police patrol car was stationed in front of the convenience store opposite where Rich was shot, a neighbor told Daily Mail Online.

The 27-year-old was described by friends as quiet, soft-spoken and focused on his work but with a comic streak.

‘On the Fourth of July he wore a full American flag outfit,’ one friend, who did not wish to be identified, said. ‘If he went to a Redskins game he would wear entirely red and gold.

'He was a big Packers fan and when they played he would wear a “Cheesehead”. Although he was quiet with his words, in that way, he was outgoing.’

Those who knew him said Rich liked to stay up late either due to a busy work schedule or to socialize.

Colleagues have paid tribute to Seth's infectious smile and strong work ethic. Rich, an avid Packers fan, is pictured above at an NFL game in his teams colors

Those who knew him said Rich (pictured center) liked to stay up late either due to a busy work schedule or to socialize

As the evening following Seth's death wore on more flowers were added to the growing memorial on the corner of the DC neighborhood, as residents paid their respects

The 27-year-old had been dating his girlfriend for around two years, a friend said, and they were known to host social gatherings.

Another friend said he liked to stay active and was serious about cycling. It is not believed that he had his bike with him on Saturday night.

Rich had attended Creighton University in Omaha, studying political science and public policy before coming to work for the DNC in the capital.

One friend described the ‘data world’ in which he worked as an ‘interesting subculture, a world where people have migrated about and where everyone knows each other’.

In a statement, DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz called Rich a ‘dedicated, selfless public servant who worked tirelessly to protect the most sacred right we share as Americans’.

Former Democratic Senator Ben Nelson will attend Rich’s funeral today. The 27-year-old had volunteered for Nelson’s re-election campaign while he was in high school.

The Metropolitan Police Department offers up to a $25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

Anyone with information about the attack is asked to call police on 202-727-9099 or text anonymous information to the department’s tip line at 50411.

Police were also seen handing out flyers (right) appealing for help from the public, which offers a up to $25,000 reward money for information leading to an arrest and conviction