THE Metropolitan Police on Wednesday (5) confirmed that they are investigating possible connections to Turkish organised crime networks in relation to the Hackney shooting.
A week after the Hackney shooting that left a nine-year-old Indian girl in critical condition and injured three men, detectives have renewed their appeals for information and witnesses.
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. 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."
Authorities said that the investigation is progressing swiftly, and urged anyone with information about those involved to come forward anonymously. They specifically appealed to friends, partners, or family members of potential suspects to consider whether their loyalty justifies concealing information about a child being shot.
Conway added, “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.”
Over the weekend, the girl's grandmother reported that her granddaughter was on a ventilator and that doctors had not yet been able to remove the bullet.
On Sunday (2), a family friend informed MailOnline that doctors had started to reduce her sedation and that she had shown signs of responsiveness, such as squeezing her father's hand.
According to the Met, additional patrols have been conducted over the past week by local officers, with support from the Met’s Turkish Police Association and specialist firearm officers, to provide reassurance and maintain a visible presence in the local area.
Police said that on May 29, around 9.20pm, a lone motorcyclist fired several shots at a restaurant on Kingsland High Street. In addition to the nine-year-old girl who was injured, three men, aged 37, 42, and 44, who were sitting outside the restaurant were also shot.
The men have since been discharged from the hospital, although one of them is facing life-changing injuries.
Diwali illuminations in Leicester (Pic credit: Beth Walsh Photography) Beth Walsh Photography