The nine-year-old girl who was injured in a drive-by-shooting in Hackney last week is still critical a week on. At around 9.20pm last Wednesday (May 29) a motorbike pulled up outside a restaurant on Kingsland High Street, Dalston, and opened fire.
Three men – aged 37, 42 and 44 – were sitting outside the restaurant and were also shot. But they have since been discharged from hospital. The gunman was riding a Ducati Monster motorbike with a white body, red chassis, and red wheels.
It was stolen from Wembley in 2021 and at the time of the shooting, and had number plates reading DP21 OXY. Detective Chief Superintendent James Conway, local policing lead for Hackney and Tower Hamlets, said: “Our investigation team has been working tirelessly to piece together what happened and to identify the dangerous individual responsible for this shocking and indiscriminate act of violence.”
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‘I urge you to search your heart to understand if your loyalty to friends or associates extends to covering up for an innocent child being shot’
He added: “We will always be directed by the evidence and a critical line of enquiry has been the potential link to Turkish-originating organised criminal networks.
“Sadly, a nine-year-old girl who was simply having dinner with her family is now in a hospital bed fighting for her life. It is therefore important we find out the details of the individual who carried out this horrific attack and those involved in the planning.
“Our investigation continues at pace but, if you have information, if you know who was involved, you can do the right thing and share the information with us completely anonymously.
“You might be a friend, partner or a family member of someone that you suspect may be involved. I urge you to search your heart to understand if your loyalty to friends or associates extends to covering up for an innocent child being shot.
“Our young victim remains in a critical condition. Specialist family liaison officers continue to support her family through this terribly difficult time and our thoughts remain with her and her family.
“It is very clear that this attack has had a devastating impact on the family. On their behalf we ask that their privacy is respected in such difficult circumstances.”
‘The Turkish and Kurdish communities are shocked and appalled’
Detective Conway added: The incident has left the residents of Hackney, and the wider Turkish and Kurdish communities shocked and appalled. In addition to my direct appeal to those involved in the wider issues, I would also ask that anyone from these communities who may have information about the shooting or the events leading up to it, to please come forward and speak to police.
“We are also reissuing two images of the suspect motorbike and want to hear from anyone who might recognise it. We are particularly keen to hear from you if you saw this motorbike on the day of the incident. Or if perhaps you saw it being parked up in a driveway or any other specific locations.
“Over the last week, there have been additional patrols conducted by local officers, supported by colleagues from the Met’s Turkish Police Association and specialist firearm officers, to provide reassurance and a visible presence in the local area.”
Anyone with information can call 101 or our dedicated incident room on 020 8345 3865 or pass information on anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online via crimestoppers-uk.org.
Information can also be shared directly with the police via the dedicated online portal here.
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