First picture: college student, 20, shot dead while sitting in car in Walthamstow

This is the first picture of a former college student shot dead as he sat in a parked car in the street.

Joseph Williams Torres, 20, was sitting in a car in Walthamstow, east London, when he was approached by a gunman who fired several shots through the window.

The former Waltham Forest college student, who had studied carpentry, was treated at the scene in a car park on the Essex Close estate but died en route to hospital.

A close friend told the Standard: “We’re all heartbroken. We would walk to school together every day. He had a cheeky smile and was the class joker.

“He was close to his little sister, she is distraught. Joseph was innocent and completely harmless.”

The shooting at 9.30pm on Wednesday is the third in a week in London. A 14-year-old boy was left with “life-changing” injuries after being shot outside Seven Sisters Tube station on Tuesday.

On Thursday last week 19-year-old Kelvin Odunuyi was shot dead outside a cinema in Wood Green.

On the same night as Mr Torres’ death, a teenager was stabbed to death yards from his home in Chadwell Heath after being chased by a gang through an estate.

Lyndon Davis was cradled by a friend after the attack in Nash Road at about 10.30pm on Wednesday.

The 18 year old, an aspiring rapper who was known as Lynx, was taken to hospital where he died less than two hours later.

Today his father Ricardo Green told the Standard: “I’m devastated. He was a great boy.”

Lyndon is the eighth teenager to be fatally attacked in London this year. Seven have been stabbings.

A friend said: “He was a nice guy we can’t believe it. He loved his rap, he was a talented musician. His sister and family are devastated.”

Another added: “I am going to see his family, They are grieving. We are all struggling to understand how this happened.”

A police cordon was put in place as homicide police searched for discarded weapons. A forensic tent was erected, yards from Lyndon’s front door.

The teenager and his family are thought to have moved to Chadwell Heath recently after previously living in Barking.

Witness Kelly Lowing said: “I heard terrible screaming - it was so loud. There was the boy outside in the ground who was screaming, they were desperate cries.

“The ambulance came and was working on him. It was terrifying and horrible.”

Lecturer James Sodimu said: “There were loads of young boys running around the estate. They were obviously chasing someone.

“They were covering something with plastic bags, it looked like they were concealing weapons. It was very frightening.”

Another witness said: “He was chased down through the estate - he nearly made it home. We are all totally shocked.”

In another incident, another teenager was fighting for life today after being stabbed in an argument outside Woodford Station.

Witnesses said he was approached by a group of teenagers who asked where he was from.

Passers-by rushed to give the victim first aid after he was found collapsed outside the station just before 5.30pm yesterday.

There have been no arrests in either of the deaths.