The real target of the Hackney shooting has said he wished he had been shot in the head instead of the little girl who is still desperately fighting for her life in hospital.
Beytullah Gunduz, 37, who has links to the Turkish criminal world, attended a restaurant in Dalston, east Londonon May 29.
He left and returned 15 minutes later - only to find three of his friends with gunshot wounds and an innocent girl laying on the floor having been shot in the head.
Police say the child - who moved to the UK from India with her parents just two years ago - is in a serious condition.
A motorbike hitman had opened fire on the restaurant, where diners dived under their tables in fear before he fled down the road.
Officers were called at around 9.20pm on May 29 to reports of a shooting near Evin restaurant on Kingsland High Street.
The attack led to concerns that a gang 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 Turks assassin and has himself been cleared of organising another hit.
The real target of Hackney shooting has said he wished he had been shot in the head instead of the little girl who is still desperately fighting for her life in hospital. Pictured is a cordon in place alongKingsland High Street as Evin restaurant (pictured) is taped off
Where the shooting occurred in Dalston as a motorcyclist fired shots towards the diners
CCTV captures moment the hitman on a stolen motorbike targets three men in Dalston
The Times reported Gunduz as telling a friend he is distraught the small child was hurt and dragged into the chaos.
He is reported as saying 'that little girl is an innocent person'.'If these people knew I was there why didn't they wait until I left and walked around the corner?'
'We can be criminals but this girl wasn't, she didn't do anything wrong. It is killing me inside. The waiting to know if she is going to live is too much - I am heartbroken.'
He went on to say he hasn't slept in four days and has been praying for her.
The newspaper reported him as saying: 'I wish I was still sitting there and the bullet had gone in my head.'
He believes the horrifying incident is linked to the previous attempt on his life in 2020, when a gun jamming allowed him to escape. No one has been charged.
One of his friends who was present was discharged from hospital the day after the shooting.
Another called Mustafa Kiziltan, 37, who was jailed in 2019 for his involvement in an acid attack, was discharged on Friday.
The third, 42, is expected to remain in hospital for two weeks, according to The Times.
Five years before the attempted hit, Gunduz was cleared of murder after being accused of hiring an assassin 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 prison for his part in the unprovoked chemical assault of a Good Samaritan outside a gay bar in Dalston. He was a third victim in the shooting
But the gunman 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.
Describing the shooting at the time, one resident said: 'I don't know who [they were] targeting - but for a child to be hit? It's just horrendous.'
The man, who did not want to be named, added: 'I doubt anyone will give you their names - not when this could be gang violence.'
A diner who was at the Evin restaurant at the time of the alleged shooting told the Hackney Gazette how everyone dived under the tables during the 'chaos' and he used his coat to stop the bleeding on someone's leg.
'There was a big group having dinner in the rear,' he said. 'I couldn't get my usual table so got one close to the front window.
'The big group paid up and left and shortly afterwards that's when the loud bangs - which were obviously gunshots - happened.'
Emergency services on the scene in Dalston, east London, after the shooting
A look at Evin restaurant on Kingsland High Street the next morning, covered in police tape
After everyone scrambled on to the floor, the man saw that someone was injured and he used his coat to stop the bleeding on a leg wound.
He continued: 'I'd say it was around 10 to 15 minutes when the emergency services arrived. Police first, then NHS staff. They were very efficient.'
A second resident, who also wished to remain anonymous, said: 'It's so awful. I live just down the road so it's really shocking to hear.
'I only found out when I walked up here this morning to get my hair cut. To hurt a kid? I mean it's messed up.
'It's the way the world is going these days and I worry if things will continue to get worse.'
Dave Evans told how he had walked passed the Evin Bistro just minutes before the violence erupted.
Mr Evans, 62, said: 'I was out last night walking my dog. I must have walked passed Evin five minutes before the shooting.
'I was down the road when I heard the noise. There were six shots. I knew they were gun shots immediately.'
