A nine-year-old girl who was critically injured when a motorcycle gunman opened fire at a London restaurant “may never speak or move again” – as police released new pictures of the suspect.
Three men were also injured when the gunman opened fire on the Evin Turkish restaurant on Kingsland High Street in Dalston on 29 May.
Metropolitan Police detectives have released three images captured in the Dalston area. One from behind was taken just before the shooting, while the two others were taken afterward.
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Footage of the incident showed the gunman, riding a stolen motorbike, fired five shots and sped off as families dived for cover under the tables or hit the floor.
Three men, aged 36, 27 and 42, were rushed to hospital and treated for gunshot wounds after the drive-by shooting, but have all since been discharged.
In a statement issued via police, the parents of the injured girl said they were “devastated” and did not know if “she will be able to speak or move again” or return “to being the smart, funny girl that she was before”.
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Their daughter “only went there for ice cream,” they said.
Police said they were investigating the attack as a possible reprisal after clashes between Turkish gangs.
The motorbike, which was found around a quarter of a mile away from the scene shortly after, was a Ducati Monster with a white body, red chassis, and red wheels, which had been reported stolen from Wembley, northwest London, in 2021, police said previously.
At the time of the shooting, it had the registration plate DP21 0XY.
Detective Chief Superintendent James Conway, lead for policing in Hackney, said investigators were “now in a position to release images of a suspect on a motorcycle that they are working to trace. We believe the motorcycle has been in the Peckham and Crystal Palace areas.
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“Whoever this person is, they are dangerous and must be removed from our streets.
“The nine-year-old girl who was injured was simply out having dinner with her family. She remains in hospital in a critical but stable condition.
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“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.”
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The parents said in a statement released by the Met: “We need our child back and we are all praying for her full recovery, please respect our wishes for privacy for ourselves and the rest of the family at this difficult time.”
