9-year-old Indian girl in critical condition after being shot in London

In a tragic incident, a nine-year-old girl from Kerala suffered grievous injuries after she was shot at, at a restaurant in London on the evening of Wednesday, May 29. Three others also sustained injuries in the incident. 

The girl has been identified as Lissel Maria, a native of Gothuruth in Ernakulam. According to the Hackney police in London, Lissel is in a critical condition. 

Lissel, the daughter of Ajeesh and Vinaya, was dining with her family at a restaurant on Kingsland High Street in Dalston when shots were fired from outside. The gunfire, discharged from a motorbike, also injured three men aged 26, 37, and 42, who were seated outside the restaurant.

Chief Superintendent James Conway of the Metropolitan Police provided details on the incident. "A nine-year-old girl, who was inside the restaurant having dinner with her family, also suffered a gunshot wound and remains in hospital in critical condition. We have recovered a motorbike believed to have been used in the shooting, which we now know was stolen. The investigation is at an early stage, and we are keeping an open mind regarding the motive (behind the crime)," Conway said.

He added that the child and the other victims are not known to each other. “As with any child, she was an innocent victim of the indiscriminate nature of gun crime.”

Lissel’s family has been settled in Birmingham for the past two years. The shooting has shocked the community, and authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward to assist with the investigation.