Mother, 42, with a 'heart of gold' was shot dead 'trying to shield her children from gangsters' as they sprayed bullets on her doorstep in Hackney

A mother who was gunned down in a triple shooting in Hackney was killed in front of her 16-year-old daughter as she tried to protect her children from gangsters, it has been claimed.

Lianne Gordon's heartbroken family today paid tribute to the 42-year-old, saying she had a 'heart of gold' and was a devoted mother who worked hard as a teacher and cared for her disabled son, 21, who is confined to a wheelchair.

A terrified child was heard screaming 'my mum's been shot in the head' after neighbours were alerted by gunshots at around 6.30pm on Tuesday, which they had at first mistaken for fireworks. 

Horrified local residents said they believe Lianne may have run out of her home during the shooting, with a local garage worker claiming that she shouted out 'No, don't do it' shortly before the shots were fired

The attack also saw a 16-year-old boy and 20-year-old man wounded, and they remain in hospital with injuries that are not life threatening. Police said the pair were known to Lianne, but were not related.

As officers continue to hunt for the gunman, they revealed tonight that the investigation will look into whether shots fired at a car on the same road just days earlier could be linked to the case. 

Detective Chief Superintendent James Conway said that officers found shell casings on Saturday night at Vine Close in Clapton, East London - an area once dubbed 'Murder Mile'.

He added that while there was 'no trace of any victim or suspect' on Saturday, and that the Met continues to investigate it as a separate incident, one of their lines of enquiry will be to determine whether it is linked to Tuesday's fatal shooting.

Before Tuesday's shooting, Lianne had been in Jamaica for two weeks with her two children visiting members of her extended family, her devastated best friend revealed today.

Nurse Jackie Finnigan told MailOnline: 'Lianne was my best friend and a wonderful woman. She had a big heart and time for everyone.

'She'd been in Jamaica with her kids and only got back on Tuesday. They went there quite often to escape part of the British winter and always enjoyed visiting family and being in the sun.'

Ms Finnigan, who said she has known Lianne for 15 years and, revealed that she received a phone call on Tuesday evening telling her that her friend had been killed.

She cried: 'I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It still doesn't make sense. Everybody around here knew Lianne. She was a much loved member of our community. I lived next door to her for many years and we were very close.'

Ms Finnigan revealed that Lianne worked as a teacher and was dedicated to her job.

She cried: 'Lianne had a heart of gold. I don't understand why anybody would do this to her.

'She was a very loving and devoted mother who coped bravely with life's challenges. She worked hard and also looked after her disabled son.'

Police revealed that they are investigating the possibility that Lianne's killing was gang related.

But Ms Finnigan insisted: 'I know for a fact that Lianne was not into that life and had no gang associations. She wasn't like that at all.

'I don't know what's behind all this but Lianne's tragic killing just shows that you don't have to be in a gang or into that life to be a victim of gun violence.

'She was an innocent person who got killed on her doorstep and I hope the police find whoever did it quickly.'

Another local living on Rendlesham Road, just outside the police cordon, said a lack of cameras on the road meant it was rife with crime.

A card and three bouquets of flowers were left at the edge of the cordon this morning. The card had handwritten inside: 'To Lianne. Such a beautiful soul. Gone too soon. Love to all the family xxx'.

A police manhunt is underway after the suspected gunman fled the scene in what locals believe is a case of mistaken identity. 

Speaking on Wednesday evening, Detective Chief Superintendent James Conway added: 'It is all the more tragic that last night's events occurred in the lead up to Christmas, Hannukah, and other important festivals.

'Our thoughts are also with those affected in Sutton, where a 17-year-old boy lost his life in a stabbing overnight.

'Our approach in Hackney, as it is across the Met, is to work closely with our community and our local partners, including Hackney council, to tackle violence and the causes of violence together.

Also speaking near the scene of the killing, Mayor of Hackney, Caroline Woodley, said: 'This is a heart-breaking incident and my thoughts and everyone's at the Council are with the loved ones of Lianne and the other injured victims.

'We are working with the police to support the families of the victims and will continue to do so in the coming weeks and months. We are also working with local schools and community groups to offer any support they need.

'While incidents like this are rare, we know that the community will be shocked, worried and distressed.

'Council officers are in the area to support the police investigation and provide reassurance to local people. We also have outreach workers in the area to make sure people can speak to us about any concerns they have.

'I'd urge anyone with information to contact Crimestoppers anonymously or to contact the police.'

Two other victims - a man aged 20 and boy aged 16 - were also rushed to hospital with wounds which are still being assessed.

Detective Chief Superintendent Conway, who leads policing in Hackney, said: 'When my officers and colleagues from the London Ambulance Service arrived, we found three people with gunshot wounds.

'Despite all the efforts of officers and paramedics, one of those injured, a 42-year-old woman, who we can name as Lianne Gordon, sadly died at the scene.

'A 16-year-old boy and 20-year-old man were also found with suspected gunshot wounds.

'They have both been treated in hospital and their conditions are not life-threatening.

'We believe all the victims of this shooting were known to each other, but they were not related.'

Lianne's neighbour described the victim as a 'beautiful woman and mother', adding that her family are deeply distressed.

One person said of Lianne: 'She was very nice lady very. We are devastated. She was trying to protect someone that what we heard. She was not the target.' 

A large area around Vine Close remained cordoned off today amid a heavy police presence.

A tree in a green area just yards away from the cordon has several bunches of flowers at its base - put there as tributes to another recent murder.

A woman living on Vine Close said she did not wish to comment but simply wanted to 'get out of this property'.

A woman living in a shared house nearby said she and her housemates heard what they'd believed to be fireworks last night.

The young woman said: 'We just heard a couple of gunshots, which we though were fireworks.

'One of my housemates heard a woman screaming.

'Then we just saw lots of lights outside.'

Mustafa Talat, who has lived in the area for around 16 years, said he had also presumed the shots he had heard were fireworks.

'I thought I'd heard a firework around 7pm,' the father, who runs boxing initiative Shanks Down Gloves Up, said.

'This is terrible... I have noticed lately when I leave my house there has been some drug taking going on.'

Mr Talat added that there was a scrap metal yard on Vine Close, the brown sign from which is visible from outside the cordon.

Detective Superintendent Vicky Tunstall, from the local policing team in Hackney, said: 'This shocking incident has resulted in the death of a woman and my thoughts are with her family at this incredibly difficult time.

'My thoughts are also with the two people who have been taken to hospital.

'We are still in the early stages of our investigation and a team of specialist detectives are working to establish what has happened.

'I do not underestimate the impact this incident will have on people in Hackney and I understand the community will want answers about what has happened this evening. We will share further information as our investigation progresses.

'Gun crime has no place on the streets of London and we will do all we can to bring whoever is responsible for this despicable crime to justice.'

There have been no arrests.