A nine-year-old girl is fighting for her life and three adults are in hospital after a drive-by shooting outside a restaurant in east London.
Eyewitnesses saw a gunman on a motorcycle, which police believe was stolen, spray bullets in the direction of the diners, before speeding away down the road.
The girl had been eating inside the restaurant with her family when gunfire erupted, Detective Chief Superintendent James Conway told a press conference.
Customers inside dived for cover under the tables or hit the floor in scenes of chaos at Evin Turkish restaurant on Kingsland High Street, Dalston.
Police, including firearms officers, and London Ambulance Service raced to Hackney at roughly 9.20pm last night.
The child and three men aged 26, 37 and 42, suffered gunshot injuries.
The three men, who were sitting outside the restaurant, were taken to hospital for treatment where their conditions are stable, although one potentially faces life-changing injuries.
The youngster, described by police as an “innocent victim”, remains in a critical condition and the other victims are not as seriously hurt, the Metropolitan Police said.
At this stage, no arrests have been made. The stolen bike was later found dumped at Colvestone Crescent.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has condemned the “senseless and indiscriminate” attack and urged any witnesses to contact the police.
“The thoughts and prayers of all Londoners are with the friends and loved ones of the innocent nine-year-old girl fighting for her life following the senseless and indiscriminate shooting in Dalston last night,” he said on Thursday night.
“Three men also remain seriously injured.
“This appalling violence has no place on our streets ... This area of London was very busy last night and I urge anyone with any information or footage to call the police ... There is no honour in staying silent.”
Loud gunfire can be heard in CCTV footage from a nearby shop. In a clip shared with the Standard shots can be heard ringing out before a motorbike can be heard revving its engine.
A witness who was metres away when the attack happened told the Standard they saw a gunman "on a black motorbike in all black, face not visible, and shot what I remember to be five to six gunshots into the restaurant next door".
They added: "He drove off and a man on a bike ran towards the scene and looked utterly horrified."
Business owner Ayo Adesina told the Standard he was around 80 yards away when rapid gunfire erupted.
The 40-year-old said: “I heard pat, pat, pat, pat… There was a big crowd of people. There was a man that was on the ground. The paramedics were here pretty quickly.
“It’s very wreckless - almost like it wasn’t a targeted thing, indiscriminate. That’s very irresponsible.
Kingsland High Street, Dalston shooting
— WeGotitBack 🏴🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@NotFarLeftAtAll) May 29, 2024
Three adults and a child were shot in an alleged drive-by shooting.
A person pulled up on a motorcycle… let off about 5-6 shots and then sped off. pic.twitter.com/MaA0y3g4Rv
“There are so many people walking about. You get families in there, I’ve eaten there before with my family. It’s a crazy thing. There would have been a lot of people who saw it.”
An eyewitness said she was a nearby Nando’s outlet when she heard five or six gunshots and a motorcyclist fleeing at speed.
Antonia said: “At first everyone didn’t think it was [a shooting], it sounded like a car not working, but we were in Nando’s and we just saw people running past.
“Everyone stepped out to look and we could see loads of people surrounding that shop.
“The police took ages to come and prior to that we saw the motorcyclist. He went around Nando’s on that road.
“We kind of just wanted to get out of there.”
Det Chief Supt Conway said: “The investigation is being led by our specialist crime colleagues and we’re supporting them with specialist local officers as we conduct fast-time inquiries to identify and apprehend those responsible and to establish the motive behind the shooting.
“The investigation is at an early stage and we’re keeping an open mind as to that motive.
“We’re keen to identify other witnesses who were in the area around the scene at the time of the shooting.
“Similarly, if you were in Kingsland High Street at the time of the shooting and have information or footage from a phone or another device, please share that with us.”
Tom Himpe saw the high street swamped by emergency service vehicles while walking to local shops.
He told the Hackney Gazette: “The police were shouting at everyone to get off the street.
“It’s not the first time there’s been an incident around Dalston Kingsland station, but this was a drive-by shooting so that does feel of a different nature.”
A large cordon remained in place this morning.
Spilt bottles and a half-drunk glass could be seen on tables outside the eatery, with chairs laid out on the street. Two bikes were propped up on tables outside.
Another witness, who was at Evin at the time, said it was busier than usual before the shooting.
He said: “There was a big group having dinner in the rear. I couldn’t get my usual table so got one close to the front window.
“The big group paid up and left and shortly afterwards that’s when the loud bangs - which were obviously gunshots - happened.”
He said that everyone dived onto the floor and under the tables, adding it was “chaos”.
Seeing that some were injured, he said that he used his coat to stop the bleeding at a leg wound.
He continued: “I’d say it was around 10 to 15 minutes when the emergency services arrived. Police first, then NHS staff. They were very efficient.”
An emotional Ladbrokes worker heard five shots and the sound of a motorbike before quickly shutting her shop two doors down.
When she found out a child had been shot, the woman “started to cry”, adding: “I found a bullet last night when I was leaving. The police said ‘don’t step on it’.”
One Dalston resident told the Standard they heard four or five gunshots from their room over 450 metres away.
They said: “My window was open and I thought I heard a car backfiring. Suddenly there were loads of helicopters and sirens. I was so scared.”
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Matt Ward said: “We know Londoners will be shocked by what has taken place.
“Our thoughts go to all those affected.
“Fast-moving enquiries are under way and we will update as soon as we can. If anyone has any information, please contact us.”
London Ambulance Service said: “We were called at 9.21pm on Wednesday May 29 to reports of a shooting on Kingsland High Street, Hackney.
“We sent resources to the scene, including ambulance crews, advanced paramedics, incident response officers and members of our tactical response unit.
“We also dispatched a trauma team from London Air Ambulance, which consisted of a doctor and a paramedic in a car.
“We treated three adults and one child at the scene before taking them all to a major trauma centre.”
