Channel 7 reporter Robert Ovadia has tweeted the mother-of-three was killed by several shot gun pellets that severed her aorta.

There had been some confusion how Ms Dawson was killed, with a suggestion she may have been struck by a bullet fired by police who stormed the Lindt cafe after Monis killed fellow hostage Tori Johnson.

The post-mortem on both victims has been completed and their bodies are being released to their families tonight.

Police have previously said they will not comment until an investigation into the shootings is over.

Meanwhile, New South Wales and Australian Federal Police officers are raiding homes across Sydney tonight.

A police spokesman would only say search warrants were being carried out. The raids are not linked to the siege in Martin Place.

One of the homes being searched by police tonight was previously raided in September’s counterterrorism raids.

Katrina Dawson is pictured with her husband Paul Smith in an undated collect photo supplied by the family. Source: Supplied