A 45-year-old man who was fatally shot on a street in North London has been identified as a Kurdish father of two, with locals suggesting the incident might 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 night.
Metropolitan Police officers discovered Mr. Ozmen, who managed a social club in Hackney and was part of the Kurdish community, suffering from gunshot wounds on Dynevor Road.
Authorities were alerted at 0.18 am yesterday, and Mr. Ozmen was declared dead at the location, prompting the initiation of a murder inquiry. At this point, no arrests have been made.
Detectives consider the murder – marking the sixth fatal shooting in London this year – to be an ‘isolated event’ with ‘no broader threat to the general public’.
While locals speculate it was ‘gang-related’, police admitted it would cause ‘concern within the Stoke Newington community’ but have not specified any potential motive.
Witness Liza Dodds, 58, a local youth worker, shared, ‘My husband woke up and said there were gunshots. The immediate response 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.’
Father-of-two Erdal Ozmen, 45, was killed in Stoke Newington, North London, early yesterday
Forensic police officers at the scene on Dynevor Road in Stoke Newington yesterday afternoon
Mr Ozmen’s friend Ali Rizi Ojur told ITV that he was a ‘very good guy, always helping people’
Four forensic officers in scrubs and masks were at the scene yesterday afternoon
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.’
Liza Dodds, 58, a youth worker who lives opposite Dynevor Road, said: ‘My husband woke up and said there was gunshots. The instant reaction was ‘how do you know?’
The forensic officers used torches to investigate underneath the nine cars parked on the street
The scene on Dynevor Road in Stoke Newington after the 45-year-old man was shot dead
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.
Forensic police officers at the scene on Dynevor Road in Stoke Newington yesterday
A forensic tent at the scene on Dynevor Road in Stoke Newington as the probe continues
The scene on Dynevor Road in Stoke Newington after the 45-year-old man was shot dead
‘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.
