Grief-stricken father of Hackney shooting victim calls mother ‘countless times’ as his daughter, nine, fights for life
3 June 2024, 18:12 | Updated: 3 June 2024, 19:03
The grief-stricken father of the victim of a shooting in Hackney has called his mother 'countless times' since the attack as his nine-year-old daughter fights for her life.
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Nine-year-old Lissel Maria, who was named by The Hindu Daily over the weekend, was shot in the head in a drive-by shooting outside Evin Bistro in Dalston, Hackney, on Wednesday.
Her father Ajeesh has since then called his mother Mary Paul "countless times and was crying every single time.
"After all, children turn to their mother when they are devastated and try to stay afloat," Paul told the Indian outlet.
It is understood Lissel and her family were planning to visit India when the school summer holiday's begin at the end of July.
"We spoke to them every single day. We talked to Lissel the day before the incident, and she was so excited about returning home," Paul added.
The family were in London visiting friends from their home in Birmingham having moved there from Kerala, India, two years ago.
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It comes after Beytullah Gunduz, the intended target of the drive-by shooting in Hackney, said "I wish it was me".
Gunduz, 37, who is said to have links to the Turkish criminal underworld, has told friends "that little girl is an innocent person".
Friends have described Gunduz as being "distraught" following the incident.
The hunt continues for a gunman, with the hit believed to be part of a long running dispute between two rival gangs - the Tottenham Turks and their rivals, the Hackney Turks.
Gunduz, from Finsbury Park, north London, had previously been targeted in a similar shooting in 2020, after he was shot in the neck by a an assassin, only surviving after the hitman's gun jammed.
According to The Times, Gunduz told the friend: “I wish it had been me. Maybe I deserve it. I have not been sleeping for four days.
"I have been praying for her and visiting the mosque. I wish I was still sitting there [outside the restaurant] and the bullet had gone in my head."
Three men, aged 26, 37 and 42, were also injured in the shooting.
One of the men was discharged from hospital the day after the shooting.
A second victim, Mustafa Kiziltan, 37, was discharged from hospital on Friday, having previously been jailed for his involvement in a 2019 acid attack at a Dalston nightclub.
The third victim, 42, remains in hospital having suffered life-changing injuries.
Detective Chief Superintendent James Conway said the bike, which has since been recovered, was a Ducati Monster with a white body, red chassis and red wheels.
The motorbike had been reported stolen from outside a property in the Wembley area of London in 2021 and at the time of the shooting had the registration plate DP21 0XY.
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