A 45-year-old man shot dead on a street in north London has been named as a Kurdish father-of-two as residents claimed the killing could be ‘gang related’.
Locals in affluent Stoke Newington were awoken by the sounds of gunshots and screaming as Erdal Ozmen was killed at about midnight on Monday.
Metropolitan Police officers found Mr Ozmen, who ran a social club in Hackney and was a member of the Kurdish community, with gunshot injuries on Dynevor Road.
Police were called at 0.18am yesterday and he was pronounced dead at the scene, with a murder investigation then launched. No arrests have been made at this stage.
Detectives believe the murder – which was the sixth fatal shooting in London so far this year – was an ‘isolated incident’ with ‘no wider risk to the general public’.
Residents claimed it was ‘gang related’, and police acknowledged it would ‘concern within the Stoke Newington community’ but have not given any indication of a motive.
Witness Liza Dodds, 58, a youth worker who lives in the area, said: ‘My husband woke up and said there was gunshots. The instant reaction was “how do you know?”
‘We both got up and had a look. A police officer was doing CPR where the person fell. It seemed like they were going forever.’
She also told the Hackney Gazette: ‘It’s very strange because it’s so nice here. I mean, these houses cost a million pounds, becoming very gentrified, very bourgeois with rich bankers and lawyers.
‘It’s a very, very close community. Everyone knows each other. It has got nothing to do with the community that lives here.’
Another witness, Rosa Gilbert, told ITV: ‘After the gunshots there were police cars arriving pretty quickly, in a couple of minutes. Several police cars came and then ambulances, a lot of commotion, a lot of screaming.
And local resident Anneli Knight told the broadcaster: ‘Personally I still feel safe in this community and people are saying it was gang related and so it’s not really affecting me personally. But still it’s not really a nice thing to have happened.’
Paul Orris, who also heard the shooting, told the Hackney Gazette: ‘It was between 11 and 12. There were probably three shots and a minute later I heard police sirens.
‘When you hear that you hang around for screams but when it’s silent…’
A further resident said: ‘I heard a few gunshots and the first thing I thought was that it was fireworks, because you don’t expect it to be a gun.
‘I was trying to sleep but then later I heard sirens from the police cars.’
Another local, who asked to remain anonymous, added: ‘We were out when it happened so we didn’t hear or see anything.
‘But when we came back at around 1am, the whole area was cordoned off and the police officers told us that it will be a crime scene for a couple of days.’
Mr Ozmen’s friend Ali Rizi Ojur told ITV News: ‘I’ve known him maybe more than 20 years. He is a very good guy, always helping people, he has two kids and family.’
Four forensic officers in scrubs and masks were at the scene yesterday afternoon, alongside several police officers. A Lime bike was lying flat in the cordoned area.
The forensic officers used torches to investigate underneath the nine cars parked on the street.
Scotland Yard said the man’s next of kin have been told and a post-mortem examination will take place.
Detective Chief Superintendent Brittany Clarke, who leads policing for the area, said: ‘Our team of detectives and forensic specialists are working at pace to establish the full circumstances that led to the tragic death of this man.
‘We understand this incident will cause concern within the Stoke Newington community, however we do believe this to be an isolated incident at this stage of the investigation with no wider risk to the general public.
‘Residents can expect to see an increased police presence in the area, along with a crime scene, as we carry out our enquiries. We thank them for their patience and co-operation at this time.
‘We urge anyone who witnessed the incident, or who has any information that could assist us, to come forward as soon as possible.’
Police closed off Dynevor Road and parts of Stoke Newington High Street as part of the investigation, and urged the public to ‘please avoid the area where possible’.
A London Ambulance Service spokesman said: ‘We were called at 12.18am [on Tuesday] to reports of a shooting at the junction of Stoke Newington High Street and Dynevor Road, Hackney.
‘We sent resources to the scene, including an ambulance crew, an advanced paramedic, a paramedic from our tactical response unit and an incident response officer.
‘We also dispatched a trauma team from London’s Air Ambulance, which consisted of a paramedic and a doctor in car.
‘Sadly, despite the best efforts of our crews, a man was pronounced dead at the scene.’
Anyone who can help is asked to call police on 101, quoting CAD 108/5AUG. Information can also be provided anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
