The family of Plymouth shooting victim Stephen Washington has said their world “has been turned upside down in the blink of an eye” as they paid tribute to him.

The 59-year-old, one of five people shot dead by Jake Davison on Thursday night, was a “devoted” family man and a “loving husband, father, grandfather and best friend”, they said in a statement.

Mr Washington was the fourth victim during Davison’s shooting spree, gunned down in front of horrified onlookers in a park in the Keyham area of the city.

In a statement released by Devon and Cornwall Police Mr Washington’s family said: “Following on from the recent attack on our community on Thursday August 12, we, the Washington family, would like to issue the following tribute to Stephen.

“Stephen was a friendly, outgoing person.

“He would help anyone at the drop of a hat, he loved his animals and was often seen walking his two huskies in the area.

“Stephen was a devoted family man, a loving husband, father, grandfather and best friend.

“Since the devastating events a couple of days ago, our world has been turned upside down in the blink of an eye and he will be sorely missed by everyone who knew him.

“Our hearts and thoughts are with the families also affected by this tragic incident.”

In the statement Mr Washington’s widow Sheila described him as her “soulmate”, saying: “Fly high, you’ve earnt your angel wings.”

The family asked that they be left to grieve in private.

Davison shot his 51-year-old mother, also known as Maxine Chapman, at a house in Biddick Drive before he went into the street and shot dead Sophie, aged three, and her father, Lee Martyn, 43.

In the 12-minute attack, Davison then killed Mr Washington, 59, in a nearby park before shooting 66-year-old Kate Shepherd, who later died at Derriford Hospital.

Prayers were said for the victims of the atrocity on Sunday.

Speaking after a service remembering those killed, Father David Way, parish priest at St Thomas’ Church, in Keyham, told the PA news agency: “Those people who have died, we have to keep those in our prayers, but also the loved ones which have been left behind.

“I’m hoping we can break any cycle of anger, as it were, and bring a cycle of love for everybody involved.”

During the service, he asked the congregation to pray for the five victims, Maxine Davison, Lee Martyn, Sophie Martyn, Kate Shepherd and Stephen Washington, adding: “We pray also for peace for Jake.”

Questions are continuing to mount over how gunman Jake Davison, 22, obtained a firearms licence and carried out his spree before turning the gun on himself.

A former Metropolitan Police chief has said officers should trawl through social media accounts of people applying for firearms licences to ensure that “guns do not fall into the hands of dangerous people”.

Former commissioner Lord Stevens told The Sunday Telegraph that Davison was “clearly a dangerous man”, adding: “The videos he made should have been taken into account when he applied for a shotgun licence.

“There needs to be a trawling of online content for an in-depth assessment of who these people are and what they think.”

However, Devon and Cornwall Police Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer said that officers did not look at internet usage when returning firearms licences as it would be an “invasion of privacy”, according to the Sun newspaper.

Social media posts and interactions offered insight into the mind of a man who was interested in guns and America, while Davison’s social media usage suggests an obsession with the “incel” culture, meaning “involuntary celibate”.

Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats accused Home Secretary Priti Patel of dragging her feet over advice to tighten the rules on issuing firearms and shotgun licences.

A Tory source accused the Liberal Democrats of “playing politics” just days after the killings.

Luke Pollard, Labour MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, said there was a “sense of anger” among residents at how the events of the atrocity unfolded.

He told BBC Breakfast: “I think people’s emotions have changed from shock and disbelief into now feeling that profound loss of the five people who were killed.

“But also a sense of anger. Wanting to know the questions as to how was this allowed to happen, why did this happen, and were there opportunities to stop this happening that were not taken?”

An investigation is already under way into Davison’s possession of a shotgun and a firearms licence,

The police watchdog launched an investigation following a mandatory referral from Devon and Cornwall Police, which contains preliminary information that Davison’s firearm and licence were returned to him in early July this year.

The certificate and shotgun had been removed by police in December 2020 following an allegation of assault in September 2020, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said.

However, Davison’s firearms licence was returned after he attended an anger management course, according to reports.

Jess Morcom, Mr Martyn’s cousin and a journalist at PlymouthLive, paid tribute to him and his daughter and spoke of the loss felt by her family.

In a post on Twitter, she said that Mr Martyn “had the kindest heart, would do anything for anybody” and that “you only had to take one look at him to see how much he loved and adored his family”.

Meanwhile, Claire Kidd paid tribute to her “very talented artist” friend Ms Shepherd, telling the BBC: “We are all feeling deeply sad and in shock.”

Davison also shot two local residents who are known to each other, a 33-year-old man and a 53-year-old woman, in Biddick Drive, who suffered significant injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening.