Moat had left a chilling message on his Facebook page complaining that his life was in tatters, adding: "Watch and see what happens."

He was released from Durham jail on Thursday after serving time for assault, and the double shooting raised new concerns about the supervision of violent criminals in the community.

Moat was thought to have been released at the halfway point of his jail sentence, but he would not have been under probation supervision because he was serving less than 12 months.

Neighbours described being awoken at about 2.30am by a hail of gunfire, screams and shouts of "He's got a gun, he's got a gun".

Miss Stobbart, 22, a trainee hairdresser who has a daughter Chanel, aged three, was shot twice – in the stomach and chest – said relatives. She is now in a critical condition in hospital, where she was under armed police guard last night.

Relatives said she had been in an on-off relationship with Moat for six years.

Miss Stobbart's half-sister Kelly Stobbart, 27, said: "He's threatened everyone in our family, he put my windows through once after arguing with Sam."

Kelly added that Moat's status on Facebook said last night: "Just got out of jail, I've lost everything, my business, my property and to top it all off my lass of six years has gone off with someone else. I'm not 21 and I can't rebuild my life. Watch and see what happens."

Her grandmother Ann Hornsby said: "We're worried sick that we're going to be targets.

"I'm 69 and I live here on my own – I'm terrified. There are three police guarding Sam's mum's house which is empty. I've asked for an armed guard and Kelly asked the police why, she rung them and she was told they don't think I warrant police protection yet."

She added: "Sam's had a couple of operations so far to stop the bleeding.

"She's been shot twice, once in the stomach and another time in the chest. I just don't want Samantha to die."

Detective Superintendent Steve Howes, leading the investigation, said: "We believe he targeted the two victims because of a grudge he harboured against them.

"We believe the weapon was a shotgun and we have not recovered the firearm. He is from the Newcastle area and he should not be approached by members of the public."

Moat and Miss Stobbart met when he was working as a doorman at Liquid nightclub in Newcastle.

Mrs Hornsby said: “Sam had been with him for six years, but she’d left him a few times. It was on and off.

“She lived with me for about six or seven months after she left Raoul, but she left him.

“He would come back, sweet talk her and then she’d go back. I kept telling her to leave him but she wouldn’t listen.

“Raoul has threatened me before, he’s a bully.”