Gasan Magomedov, a 20-year-old footballer who played for Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala, has reportedly been shot dead near his home in Russia's North Caucasus in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Magomedov was driving towards his home when his vehicle came under attack from a "volley of automatic gunfire," reported the CNN.
The youth player's parents rushed out on hearing gunfire and discovered their wounded son who passed away on his way to hospital.
The police have not yet determined any motives or suspects, the club said.
The attack took place in Dagestan, a Russian region that has recently emerged as the focus of Islamist insurgency.
Anzhi's general director Sergey Korablev offered his condolences to the player's family and said that the law-enforcement bodies will identify the perpetrators who will be punished justly.
Anzhi has gained prominence in recent years after it competed for the Russian Premier League title and attracted star players like Samuel Eto'o, Willian, and Roberto Carlos. The club however, was relegated to the nation's second tier after billionaire owner Suleman Kerimov withdrew his financial backing and many star players left.