Detectives are investigating whether a man was murdered in front of his family on Christmas Eve in a revenge attack over Swedish crime links.

Flamur Beqiri was shot outside his home in Battersea, south-west London, at about 9pm on 24 December as he returned with his wife and young child.

Scotland Yard said Beqiri, a Swedish national who had Albanian heritage, had been living in London for four or five years.

DI Jamie Stevenson said Beqiri was shot multiple times in Battersea Church Road by a lone attacker who fled on foot. He said: “Work is ongoing to determine what the possible motive could be, and while we retain an open mind, we are considering that this is a targeted attack. While I am mindful of concerns from the local community, we do not believe at this stage that there is any ongoing risk to members of the public.

“We believe Flamur may possibly have been involved in some criminality in Sweden, and are in liaison with our Swedish counterparts to try to understand what, if any, incidents there may have been that might have led to someone seeking retribution against Flamur in the UK.”

Neighbours living near the scene of the shooting described hearing gunshots followed by a woman screaming for help.

Vittoria Amati said she heard between eight and 10 shots fired in quick succession. She said: “I then heard the screams of the wife. I came out and realised it was one of my neighbours. He was lying in front of his doorway in a pool of blood. He was still alive. We were really hoping he would make it. You have no idea how desperate she [his wife] sounded.”

No arrests have been made and the Metropolitan police are appealing for witnesses to come forward.

Stevenson said: “Flamur’s family, his wife and very young child, bore witness to this horrific attack and are coming to terms with having their world turned upside down. I ask that their privacy is respected at this terrible time. What is most important now is getting justice for Flamur’s family.

“The attack took place at nine in the evening. Not only would many people have been out going about their business, but I am sure many residents would have been alarmed by the sound of the disturbance and gone to see what had happened.”

The death is the 142nd homicide identified by PA Media in London in 2019, the highest number in a calendar year since 2008.

Last year, there were 141 police-recorded homicides in the capital, according to Home Office statistics.