Real target of Hackney shooting says he wishes he had been shot in the head instead of little girl still fighting for her life in hospital

The real target of the Hackney shooting has said he wishes he had been shot in the head instead of the little girl still desperately fighting for her life in hospital.

Beytullah Gunduz, 37, who has links to the Turkish criminal world, visited a restaurant in Dalston, East London on May 29.

He left and returned 15 minutes later, only to find three of his friends with gunshot wounds and an innocent girl lying on the ground and shot in the head.

Police say the child – who has moved to Britain – came from India with her parents, just two years ago, is in a serious condition.

A motorcycle hitman had opened fire at the restaurant, where diners ducked under their tables in fear before fleeing into the road.

On May 29, officers were called at around 9.20pm to reports of a shooting near Evin restaurant on Kingsland High Street.

The attack sparked concerns that a turf war between Tottenham Turks and their rivals, the Hackney Turks, will reignite.

Gunduz was previously the victim of a hit when he was shot in the neck by a Tottenham Turkish killer and has himself been acquitted of organizing another hit.

The real target of the Hackney shooting has said he wishes he had been shot in the head instead of the little girl still desperately fighting for her life in hospital. The photo shows a cordon along Kingsland High Street while Evin restaurant (pictured) is taped off

Where the shooting took place in Dalston when a motorcyclist fired shots at guests

CCTV captures the moment the hit man on a stolen motorbike attacks three men in Dalston

The times reported that Gunduz told a friend he was distraught that the small child was injured and dragged into the chaos.

He is said to say ‘that little girl is an innocent person’. “If these people knew I was there, why didn’t they wait for me to leave and turn the corner?”

‘We may be criminals, but this girl was not, she did nothing wrong. It kills me inside. The wait to know if she will live is too much – I am heartbroken.”

He further said that he has not slept for four days and has been praying for her.

The newspaper reported that he said, “I wish I was still sitting there and the bullet had gone through my head.”

He believes the horrific incident is linked to the previous attempt on his life in 2020, when a weapons malfunction allowed him to escape. No one has been charged.

One of his friends present was released from the hospital the day after the shooting.

Another named Mustafa Kiziltan, 37, who was jailed in 2019 for his involvement in an acid attack, was fired on Friday.

The third, 42, is expected to remain in hospital for two weeks, according to The Times.

Five years before the attack, Gunduz was acquitted of murder after being accused of hiring a hitman, a leading member of the Tottenham Turks.

Forensic officers pictured outside Evin restaurant, where a horror drive-by shooting took place

Mustafa Kiziltan was sentenced to 36 months in prison for his part in the unprovoked chemical attack on a Good Samaritan outside a gay bar in Dalston. He was the third victim in the shooting

But the shooter and the getaway driver were convicted of murder.

According to The Times, the little girl’s grandmother has been told she is on a ventilator after doctors were unable to remove the bullet on the first attempt.

A resident said of the shooting at the time: ‘I don’t know who [they were] aim – but a child gets hit? It’s just terrible.’

The man, who did not want to be named, added: ‘I doubt anyone will give you his name – not when this could be gang violence.’

A diner at Evin restaurant at the time of the alleged shooting told the Hackney Gazette how everyone ducked under tables during the ‘chaos’ and he used his jacket to stop the bleeding on someone’s leg.

“There was a big group eating in the back,” he said. ‘I couldn’t get my usual table, so I put one near the front window.

“The large group paid and left and soon after there were loud bangs – clearly gunshots.”

Emergency services at the scene in Dalston, east London, after the shooting

A view of Evin restaurant on Kingsland High Street the next morning, covered in police tape

After everyone had climbed to the ground, the man saw that someone had been injured and used his jacket to stop the bleeding from a leg wound.

He continued: “I estimate it took about 10 to 15 minutes for emergency services to arrive. First the police, then the NHS staff. They were very efficient.’

A second resident, who also wished to remain anonymous, said: ‘It’s so terrible. I live down the street, so it’s really shocking to hear.

‘I only found out when I walked over here this morning to get my hair cut. Hurt a child? I mean, it’s fucked up.

“It’s the way the world looks these days and I worry if things are going to get worse.”

Dave Evans told how he had walked past the Evin Bistro just minutes before the violence broke out.

Mr Evans, 62, said: ‘Last night I was walking my dog. I must have walked past Evin five minutes before the shooting.

‘I was on the road when I heard the noise. There were six shots. I knew right away it was gunshots.”