Girl, 9, shot in Hackney may never 'speak or move properly again'

A nine-year-old who was injured in a shooting by a motorcyclist may never "speak or move properly again," her parents have said.

The girl remains in critical but stable condition after she was caught up in a shooting incident outside a Turkish restaurant in Hackney, north-east London on 29 May.

In a statement released by the Metropolitan Police, the family 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.”

Three other men who were also injured have been discharged from the hospital.

The Metropolitan Police have released CCTV images of the motorcyclist involved. Detective chief superintendent James Conway said the shooting might be linked to "Turkish-originating organised criminal networks" and appealed to the Turkish and Kurdish communities for information, reported the BBC.

“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," Conway said.

He urged anyone with information about the motorcycle or the rider to contact the police.

The bike, a Ducati Monster, was found near the shooting site on Colvestone Crescent. It was stolen in 2021 from Wembley and is described as having a white body, red chassis, red wheels, and a registration plate of DP21 OXY.

"The nine-year-old girl who was injured was simply out having dinner with her family," Conway said. "Whoever this person is, they are dangerous and must be removed from our streets."

The girl's parents stated, "We need our child back and we are all praying for her full recovery."