The family of a Swedish man killed in front of his wife and child on Christmas Eve have said they are in a state of shock over his death.

Flamur “Alex” Beqiri, 36, was shot a number of times by a lone gunman as he returned to his home in Battersea, south-west London with his family at about 9pm on 24 December. The attacker fled on foot and Beqiri was pronounced dead at the scene.

A Swedish national born in Albania, he had been living in London for four or five years and is thought to have had connections to Sweden’s gang world.

In a statement released through Scotland Yard, his family said: “We thank everyone for their kind thoughts and condolences. Our family are in a state of shock and are grieving. To have so much sadness at this time of the year is heartbreaking. We would kindly ask that you respect our privacy and let us grieve in peace.”

DI Jamie Stevenson said Beqiri’s “wife and very young child, bore witness to this horrific attack and are coming to terms with having their world turned upside down.

“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,” he said. “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.”

Sweden’s prosecution service confirmed to the Observer that Beqiri was friends with the boyfriend of Karolin Hakim, who was shot dead in Malmö in August when the pair were walking with their baby in broad daylight. Gunmen thought to be targeting her boyfriend shot her in the head and she died at the scene.

Pär Andersson, who is leading the investigation into Hakim’s death, told Swedish media on Friday evening: “What is very striking is that [Beqiri] was shot dead when he was with his wife and child in the same way that Hakim was shot dead while holding her child. It is so ruthless to murder people in front of their family and children.”

According to reports, Beqiri was the brother of former Real Housewives Of Cheshire star Misse Beqiri, and married Debora Krasniqi in Cernobbio, by Lake Como, Italy in October 2018.

An article in Grace Ormonde Wedding Style magazine, which published photographs of the occasion, revealed that the couple had met through Facebook. Krasniqi told the magazine that the pair, initially just friends, had fallen “deeply in love” at his sister’s wedding after speaking for “endless hours over the phone”. “There was always something special about our connection and bond,” she said.