Girl, 9, shot in head during drive-by in east London ‘may never speak again’

‘She only went there for ice cream and now we do not know if we will ever get our daughter back to being the smart, funny girl that she was before.'

The parents of a nine-year-old girl who was shot in the head in a drive-by shooting in east London have said she may never ‘speak or move properly’ again.

She was eating dinner with her family at a restaurant in Kingsland High Street, Dalston, on May 29 when a lone motorcyclist fired ‘a number of shots’ towards the building.

The youngster remains in a critical condition 49 days after the attack.

In a statement from the family, released via the Metropolitan Police, they said: ‘We are devastated about what has happened. Our daughter remains stable but in a critical condition.

‘She only went there for ice cream and now we do not know if we will ever get our daughter back to being the smart, funny girl that she was before and whether she will be able to ever speak or move properly again.’

They added: ‘We need our child back and we are all praying for her full recovery.’

The update on the little girl’s condition came as the Metropolitan Police released new photographs of a motorcyclist they want to trace in connection with the shooting.

The three images were captured in the Dalston area, before and after the incident.

Three men sitting outside the restaurant – aged 37, 42 and 44 – were also shot but were discharged from hospital a few days later.

Detective Chief Superintendent James Conway said: ‘I am making a renewed appeal for information relating to the shooting in Hackney, on Wednesday 29 May, which left three men injured and a nine-year-old girl in a critical condition.

‘Our investigation team has been working tirelessly to piece together what happened and to identify the dangerous individuals responsible for this shocking and indiscriminate act of violence.

‘They are 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.’

Mr Conway added: ‘Anyone who saw this motorcycle or who can help us identify the rider is urged to contact us immediately.

‘Whoever this person is, they are dangerous and must be removed from our streets.’

The update from Scotland Yard comes after it was reported that a gang boss supected of being behind the drive-by shooting was gunned down in Moldova.

Izzet Eren, 41, the reputed leader of the Tottenham Turks, was shot seven times as he sat outside a cafe in the capital Chisinau on Wednesday.

One intended target of the Dalston shooting is thought to be a member of the Hackney Bombers gang who had previously been shot in the neck by a suspected member of the Tottenham Turks.

Mr Conway said the Met are investigating ‘a critical line of inquiry’ – a potential link to organised criminal networks originating in Turkey.

‘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,’ he said.

‘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.’

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