It's been over a month since Abdullahi "Abdi" Sharif's mother watched him walk into the Target on Merle Hay Road for work and never return home.

Although days missing for the Des Moines teen are racking up, the number of leads on his whereabouts remains much smaller. Police have looked at hours of video surveillance at Target and surrounding streets and businesses trying to locate Sharif, but his family says police still have no idea where Sharif is.

The community raised a $5,000 award for information that leads to the discovery of Sharif and still, no luck.

Now the family is taking matters into their own hands while continuing to work with police. With a private investigator hired and a search party planned in Des Moines on Friday, Fadumo Ahmed, Sharif's mother, hopes her son will finally return home.

Where did Abdullahi Sharif go?

Ahmed remembers it was snowing when she dropped off Sharif, 18, at Target for work at 1:20 p.m. Jan. 17. He was scheduled to work until 5:30 p.m.

Right before Sharif left his mother's car, Ahmed said he told her to be careful, and not to drive too fast because of the snow. The last time she would speak to him was around 5 p.m.— right before Sharif's shift would have ended — updating Ahmed that he was going to work until 9:30 p.m.

So at 9:20 p.m, Ahmed found herself once again at the Merle Hay parking lot waiting to pick up her son.

At 9:30 p.m., she called him. His phone was off. She kept calling as the minutes passed and he never came out of the store.

Ahmed remembers she was mad at Sharif, thinking her son went somewhere without telling her. "What am I going to say to my son when he comes home?" She asked herself.

Around 10 p.m., Ahmed went into Target. There, she claims Target employees informed her that he had left when his shift ended at 5:30 p.m.

She had so many questions, but when she realized she couldn't get the answers she wanted, Ahmed rushed home and called the police.

"I had a bad feeling," she said.

Where was he walking?

Police obtained surveillance videos of Sharif leaving the store around 5:30. It looked like he texted someone and then put his phone away, as well as his headphones. Police were able to trace him via surveillance video walking across the parking lot toward the street, and then finally in the AT&T parking lot nearby. That's the last sight of him.

Sharif's phone remains disconnected and his bank account untouched. The last Snapchat story he posted was a selfie of him with the caption that he had just heard "bad news."

"He disappeared," Ahmed Hashi, Sharif's uncle said.

Sgt. Paul Parizek, spokesman for the Des Moines Police Department, told the Register via email that police have been meeting regularly with the family.

"We are following up on all leads that come in to the police department, as well as standard police-initiated investigative leads (researching phone records, locating/ reviewing video surveillance, etc.)," Parizek wrote in the email.

"Evidence indicates that without any doubt, Abdi left Target voluntarily. There is video surveillance of him walking, alone, on a nearby roadway," he continued. "At this time, there is no other known video evidence. We continue to reach out to residents and businesses in an attempt to locate additional video evidence that may exist."

Private investigator hired, search party planned for Friday

Sharif's family hired a private investigator in hopes that that will locate the missing teen.

Community leader and state Rep. Ako Abdul-Samad has been helping Sharif's family locate him.

"A search party will take place on Friday," Abdul-Samad said. "Right now, there's no leads. We're still looking at cameras and still trying to put things together. All we can do is hope and pray."

A search party has been put together at 11 a.m. Friday. Volunteers will meet at Freedom Blend Coffee on 2329 Hickman Road.

Police support the family's decision to implement additional measures to help find Sharif.

"It's appreciated. We have gone door to door, walked sections of timber, but we can't cover it all and still follow the tips that are coming in. Des Moines people are generous and caring, and this is an excellent example. We appreciate the support," Parizek said.

Hashi wants to see his nephew's smile again. He said Sharif is known as a happy kid always laughing, telling jokes, giving his younger sisters hugs and helping others. He said Sharif wants to be a doctor when he's older.

"Every time I remember him, that's what I remember. His smile," Hashi said.

As the days go by, Sharif's mother grows in pain for her son. .

"I’m his mother. I’m feeling pain. Every time I think about him I feel panic,” Ahmed said.

Andrea Sahouri covers breaking news for the Des Moines Register. She can be contacted at asahouri@registermedia.com, 515-284-8247 or on Twitter at @andreamsahouri.

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