- Author, James W Kelly
- Role, BBC News
A nine-year-old girl injured when a motorcyclist fired several shots at an east London restaurant seven weeks ago remains in a “stable” condition but may no longer “speak or move properly”, her parents have said.
The shooting took place on Kingsland High Street, Dalston, at around 9.20pm BST on 29 May.
Three men, aged 26, 37 and 42, who were sitting outside the restaurant were also injured. They have all been sent home from hospital.
The Metropolitan Police have released CCTV footage of the motorcyclist they are trying to trace following the shooting.
The girl’s parents say they are “devastated by what happened.”
“She only went there to eat ice cream and now we don’t know if our daughter will ever become the smart, funny little girl she was before and if she will ever be able to talk or move properly again.”
Superintendent James Conway said detectives believed the shooting could be linked to “organised crime networks of Turkish origin”.
Detectives had previously appealed to the Turkish and Kurdish communities in east London for information about the shooting.
“Our investigative team has worked tirelessly to piece together what happened and to identify the dangerous individuals responsible for this shocking and indiscriminate act of violence,” Detective Inspector Conway continued.
He said the bike was in the Peckham and Crystal Palace areas and urged anyone with information about it or the rider to contact police.
Last month, police identified the bike as a Ducati Monster that had been abandoned near the scene of the shooting on Colvestone Crescent.
In 2021, the bike – described as having white bodywork, a red chassis, red wheels and a DP21 OXY number plate – was stolen from a property in Wembley, north London, the Met said.
“The nine-year-old girl who was injured had simply been out for dinner with her family. She remains in hospital in a critical but stable condition,” Detective Inspector Conway added.
“Whoever this person is, they are dangerous and need to be removed from our streets.”
The girl’s parents added: “We need our child back and we all pray that she makes a full recovery.”
