Girl, 9, fighting for life in hospital after being shot as she sat in restaurant

A nine-year-old girl is currently fighting for her life after being the victim of a shooting in east London.

The child was inside a restaurant in Hackney with her family when shots were fired from a motorbike outside, according to police. Three men, aged 26, 37, and 42, who were sat outside the restaurant were also injured and taken to hospital for treatment.

While their conditions are stable, one may sustain life-changing injuries. Police were called to the scene on Kingsland High Street at around 9.20pm on Wednesday, with specialist firearms officers attending.

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Detective Chief Superintendent James Conway, of the Metropolitan Police, 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.”

A motorbike, believed to have been stolen and used during the shooting, was recovered in nearby Covlestone Crescent. Officers are currently "keeping an open mind" as to the motive.

Mr Conway added: “We are keen to identify other witnesses who were in the area around the scene at the time of the shooting. Similarly, if you were in the Kingsland High Street area at the time of the shooting and have information or footage from a phone or other device, please share that with us.

“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.”

Anyone with information is asked to call 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.