A nine-year-old girl was seriously injured when a gunman opened fire outside a restaurant in Dalston, east London, last May in an attack prosecutors said was linked to a long-running feud between rival Turkish organised crime groups.
Javon Riley, 33, was convicted last month of three counts of attempted murder for his role in the incident and on Friday was sentenced to 34 years in prison. The gunman who fired the shots has not been traced and the Metropolitan Police are offering a reward of up to £15,000 for information leading to his prosecution.
Prosecutors said the shooter stopped outside the Evin Restaurant on Kingsland High Street and fired six times at three men sitting outside who were said to be affiliated with the Hackney Turks. Diners fled as bullets struck Mustafa Kiziltan, 35, Kenan Aydogdu, 45, and Nasser Ali, 44, in the arm, leg and thigh. A stray round hit the girl, who was eating ice cream with her family; she survived but sustained serious injuries and has a bullet lodged in her brain.
Detective Inspector Ben Dalloway, who led the investigation, described the attack as "well organised, well planned, well scripted," noting the use of stolen vehicles on false plates that were later burned. Officers linked Riley to the Tottenham Turks through CCTV and covert recordings in which he referred to the attack and said that "his man" had "missed," the court heard. Riley was convicted of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to the child and of carrying out reconnaissance, scouting targets and driving the gunman away in a stolen car. He told jurors he had expected a robbery and that he believed he would be paid.
The shooting is part of a violent, decades-long feud between the Hackney Turks (also known as the Bombacilars) and the Tottenham Turks, which police and former officers say escalated after a fight in a nightclub in January 2009. Since then there have been multiple shootings, beatings, arson attacks and killings connected to the dispute, often carried out in revenge cycles, law enforcement officials said.
Former Metropolitan Police officer Dal Babu, reflecting on a policing career that spanned the era in which the gangs rose to prominence, recalled being met with silence from witnesses even after an assailant had aimed at him and pulled the trigger. "None of the people in the cafe wanted to make any statements. None of them would give any evidence," he said, describing a communitywide fear that hampers investigations.
Former Haringey borough commander Dr Victor Olisa said there is a clear hierarchy within the gangs, with organised leaders directing operations and younger or less established members used to carry out street attacks. "They're doing all sorts to try to prove themselves, to prove they can be trusted, that they can be ruthless. They're quite chaotic and they're quite reckless," he said, adding that gangs often recruit outside their own communities and treat foot soldiers as "expendable."
Police cited several episodes that illustrate the feud's persistence and reach, including the 2009 murder of shopkeeper Ahmet Paytak and the 2015 killing of Jermaine Baker, who was shot by officers during a foiled attempt to free a prisoner linked to the Tottenham Turks. In July 2024, Izzet Eren, identified as a senior member of the Tottenham Turks, was shot dead while sitting outside a cafe in Moldova; suspects in that killing include members of the rival Armagan family of Hackney, the trial record shows.
Det Ch Supt Brittany Clarke, who leads the Met’s Central East Command Unit, said police have increased engagement with local Turkish and Kurdish communities and are working to build trust so people will come forward. She said recorded gun crime in some categories has fallen but acknowledged the shock caused when innocent people are hurt. "Although these incidents where, really sadly, innocent victims, in this case a child, was caught in the crossfire, it is rare that this does happen. I'd like to reassure communities we are making the streets safer," she said.
Police continue to search for the unidentified shooter and urged anyone with information to contact the Met or provide anonymous tips through the independent charity Crimestoppers. The force has said it will pay up to £15,000 for information that leads to a successful prosecution.
The girl's mother issued a statement describing the attack as "brutal and inhumane" and said the family’s sense of safety had been shattered. Community leaders and former officers cautioned that while progress has been made in policing organised crime, cuts and staff shortages risk undermining sustained efforts to disrupt gangs and reassure vulnerable communities.
Det Insp Dalloway said the investigation demonstrated that offenders took steps to obstruct detection but that careful police work – including CCTV analysis and covert recordings – had led to convictions in the Dalston case. Riley declined to identify those who recruited him or the gunman when questioned at trial, citing fears for his safety and that of his family.
Former officer Dal Babu urged witnesses to assist police, saying the community and law enforcement have a responsibility to prevent further harm. "We need to take these kind of people off the streets and I think we owe it to that nine-year-old girl and her family to make sure we do absolutely everything to find the culprit who caused this horrific situation," he said.
The Metropolitan Police said the investigation remains active and reiterated the reward offer. Anyone with information is asked to contact police or Crimestoppers.