THE nine-year-old girl who was gunned down in a drive-by shooting in Hackney has raised hope after reports she "squeezed her dad's hand".
Three other men were injured when a gunman on a motorbike opened fire at a Turkish restaurant in North East London on Wednesday.
The child was having dinner with her family at Dalston eatery Evin when she was injured in the hail of bullets before being rushed to hospital.
She was understood to be visiting relatives in London on her half-term holiday.
The girl, from Birmingham, has been on a ventilator since Wednesday after the horror attack.
From tongue scraping to saying no, here are 12 health trends to try in 2023
But hopes have been raised after it was claimed she responded to her parent's voices and even squeezed her father's hand, reports MailOnline.
A family friend told the outlet: "She is on a ventilator but she is responding to some things, which is good. When they [her parents] say something, she responds, like moving her finger.
"Her father spoke with her this morning and she responded, she squeezed his hand, she pressed it."
He claimed that doctors will remove the bullet in another operation but that may be some days away.
The friend added that there was renewed optimism claiming that "doctors are saying it will be good".
The girl was shot at Evin restaurant in Kingsland High Street just after 9pm.
The shooter on a Ducati Monster motorbike pulled up and began firing at three men sitting outside, believed to be his targets.
The three men, aged 26, 37 and 42, not known to the child were treated for gunshot wounds.
Their conditions are stable, but one could have life-changing injuries.
One of the men has been discharged from hospital and the other two are being treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
I'm a nutritionist - here's the 10 best diet trends to help lose weight in 2023
A man on a motorbike fired at least four shots, and detectives believe it was a “targeted” attack requiring a “significant effort” to carry out.
Speaking in Hackney on Friday, Chief Superintendent James Conway said the bike, which has since been recovered, was a Ducati Monster with a white body, red chassis and red wheels.
The motorbike had been reported stolen from the Wembley area of London in 2021 and at the time of the shooting had the registration plate DP21 0XY.
Armed police raced to Kingsland High Street at around 9.20pm on Wednesday as shots rang out.
HAIL OF BULLETS
CCTV footage showed the moment the gunman pulled up outside the restaurant and opened fire.
Loud bangs can be heard before a man on foot appears to start running.
Witnesses have also told of screams echoing down the streets and hero bystanders jumping into action as people were gunned down.
Ayo Adesina, 40, who owns Aso Rock Restaurant in Hackney, said he was "stunned" after seeing a man on the floor and a woman slumped in her chair.
Ayo was at his restaurant before hearing a series of loud noises which he believes accounted for five or six gunshots.
He said: "I heard gunshots though at the time I thought it was just a car.
"I looked at the road and I could see there was a whole crowd of people.
"I got on an e-bike and went up there and saw a man on the floor who wasn't moving.
"There was a woman slumped in her chair. I think someone who worked in that restaurant went to get a jacket or blanket to put on her leg."
Police have appealed to London's Turkish and Kurdish communities for information over the attack.
