Family and friends have paid tribute to a former Highgate pupil gunned down in a case of mistaken identity at the weekend.

Former St Aloyisius’ College pupil Joseph Burke-Monerville, 19, was in a parked vehicle in Clapton with his twin brother Jonathan and an elder brother when three shots were fired into the car on Saturday (February 16) night.

The teenager was hit in the head. He was taken to hospital but died at 11.10pm. His 22-year-old elder brother remains in hospital in a serious but stable condition. His twin escaped unhurt.

Joseph’s niece, Charlotte Monerville, posted on social networking site Twitter on Sunday (February 17): “Last night my uncle was taken from us. Joseph, you will be missed greatly. Joseph was so calm, why him? He didn’t deserve this.”

Friends have also paid tribute to Joseph on a Facebook page set up in his memory. One said: “I still don’t understand how this is possible. We love you and will miss you dearly.”

John Monerville, Joseph’s father, told the Evening Standard: “Joseph was the world’s number one good person and you will not find anyone that says otherwise. There is not a blemish on him.”

Joseph was a pupil at St Aloyisius’ College, an independent Catholic school in Hornsey Lane, Highgate, from 2005 to 2007 before going to live in Nigeria.

The teenager returned to the UK to study forensic science at London Metropolitan University in Holloway. He lived in the Canonbury area of Islington.

A London Metropolitan statement said: “The university community is saddened by this tragic death. Our thoughts are with Joseph’s family and friends.”

Police say two suspects, one black and one light-skinned, possibly Asian or Turkish, were seen running from the scene. One witness said they were wearing different coloured bandanas.

Det Supt Gordon Allison of Operation Trident, the Met Police unit which tackles gang-related crime, said: “This looks like a tragic case of mistaken identity.

“They [the brothers] have parked just opposite a shop. We believe they were going to go into the shop to make a couple of purchases and then go home.

“They have been approached by the two suspects, a short conversation has taken place and as a result of that, three shots were fired into the vehicle, resulting in the fatal injury of the victim.”

The shooting happened just off Lower Clapton Road, which, along with Upper Clapton Road, was dubbed the Murder Mile after eight men were killed in the area between 1999 and 2001, though the crime rate has dropped dramatically in recent years.

Anyone with information should call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.