His friends said he lost his leg in a motorcycle accident in 2007.
A woman who was also at the cordon and who did not want to be named, said: “He was always funny, making jokes, friendly with everybody, always had a smile on his face, and always pleasant.
“There’s not a bad thing I could say about him. I know him from long time, he’s a nice guy, very nice guy, always see him, he’s always pleasant.
“You never expect (an incident like this) at all, to be honest, but to him, least of all – he’s just nice, always, always a pleasure to see him, he’s upbeat.”
A man who knew Mr Barnett, but also did not want to be identified, said he was “a young guy, good spirit, no enemies, no guns, no crime, no gangs”.
Two held by police
Two men, aged 28 and 21, have been arrested and remain in custody at an east London police station.
A black and grey electric wheelchair could be seen standing behind the cordon close to a forensics tent at the scene late on Wednesday evening.