Hackney shooting: Nine-year-old girl in critical condition after being shot while eating with family

Following a drive-by shooting at a restaurant in Hackney, East London, where three men were also hurt, a nine-year-old girl is in serious condition at the hospital.

A media briefing near the site on Thursday afternoon revealed that the youngster, who was inside the restaurant eating dinner with her family, is battling for her life in the hospital. Chief Superintendent James Conway made this announcement.

The three men aged26, 37, and 42 who were seated outside the restaurant, were rushed to a hospital where they are receivingcare. One of them may have life-threatening injuries.

Specialised weapons police responded to the site at around 9:20 PM on Wednesday, and when emergency services were summoned, the four patients were brought to a hospital in east London with "gunshot injuries."

"It saddens me deeply to say that at 9.20 last night, on Kingsland High Street in Hackney, three men and a nine-year-old girl were shot when a firearm was discharged from a motorbike. I know that local people will be extremely concerned by this incident. We share that concern and an urgent investigation has been launched to identify and apprehend those responsible," DCS Conway said.

"We do not believe that the girl and the men injured were known to each other. As with any child, she was an innocent victim of the indiscriminate nature of gun crime. Police arrived at the scene within minutes of the crime being reported. Two crime scenes remain in place - at Kingsland High Street and at Colverstone Crescent, where we recovered a motorbike that we believe was used in the shooting and which we now know to have been stolen," he added.

With the investigation still in its early stages, police have not yet made any arrests and have issued a request for information from the public.

"Locally, people can expect to see a significant police presence in this area, including armed officers, to provide reassurance and support. We will also continue our unrelenting focus on suppressing violence, gun crime, and the offenders who endanger our communities. Events such as these are rarely spontaneous. Someone knows who is responsible for this shooting that has left a little girl fighting for her life," Conway said.

(With inputs from agencies)