THE INTENDED target for the gangland shooting in Hackeny, which left a schoolgirl fighting for her life, wishes the bullet had hit him rather than the innocent child, The Times reports.
Beytullah Gunduz (37), who has been linked to the Turkish underworld, was with friends outside a restaurant in Dalston until 15 minutes before the assailant opened fire on diners last Wednesday (29).
He returned to the restaurant to find three of his friends with gunshot wounds. The girl, who was with her family, was shot in the head.
Eyewitnesses saw a gunman on a motorcycle, which police believe was stolen, speeding away after the incident.
Gunduz, a resident of Finsbury Park, reportedly told a friend that the attack on an innocent girl was troubling him.
He claims he has not been able to sleep for four days and is praying for her life. He wishes he was outside the restaurant and the bullet had gone through his head.
Gunduz had earlier survived another gangland hit in August 2020. He was shot in the neck by a bike-borne gunman near Clissold Park in Stoke Newington.
The latest attack has led to concerns that the shooting will reignite a bloody gang war between Tottenham Turks and Hackney Turks.
The gangs are linked to a battle for control over drugs, racketeering operations and political funding in Turkey.
The injured girl hails from Kerala state in India. She had moved to the UK along with her parents, both IT professionals.
The family lives in Birmingham and was on a trip to London. The shootout happened when they were having dinner at Evin, a Turkish restaurant.
Girl stable
The girl's family friend told MailOnline that the doctors had performed an operation but were unable to remove the bullet.
However, they have started reducing her sedation and found that she was able to respond to her parents and squeezed her dad's hand.
She continues to be on a ventilator and the doctors plan to remove the bullet in another operation that might be done a few days later.
Her grandmother in India told local media that her son is heartbroken and breaks down whenever he calls her.
She said the doctors were waiting for the swelling in the girl's head to subside before making another attempt to remove the bullet.
One of the three men who got injured during the shootout has been discharged. The other two continue to be in hospital.
Police widen probe
Detective Chief Superintendent James Conway said the police have reached out to Turkish and Kurdish communities in north and east London for any information regarding the assailant.
He pointed out that the three men who were attacked have connections with these communities.
The offender fired from a motorbike at approximately 9.20 pm, he told reporters.
The police had earlier released details of the motorbike used in the shooting, and appealed for anyone with information to come forward.
The police claim that the bike, a Ducati Monster, was stolen in 2021 from a property in Wembley.
Diwali illuminations in Leicester (Pic credit: Beth Walsh Photography) Beth Walsh Photography