In the latest horrific gun violence in Liverpool, a gunman broke into a home overnight and killed a nine-year-old girl before shooting two other people. This happened less than 48 hours after a community worker was shot “accidentally.”
The child, whose name was not released, was shot in the chest just before 10 p.m. at a home on Kingsheath Avenue. This is the latest horrific event in a city still in shock after Ashley Dale, 28, was murdered Sunday at her home in Old Swan, which was just a mile and a half from last night’s killing.
Liverpool Shooting Nine-year-old Girl Shot Dead In Liverpool
Police believe it was a case of “mistaken identity” for the “bright and hardworking” graduate, who had just been promoted by her employer, Knowsley Town Council. Lewis, her 16-year-old brother, was shot dead by a gang seven years ago because they thought he was a rival.
Police have made no connection between the deaths of the two siblings and do not believe Ms Dale’s death is linked to that of the nine-year-old girl.
Deputy Police Commissioner Jenny Sims said the girl’s death was “truly shocking” and “abhorrent” to people in the area. She also said, “No parent should ever have to lose a child in such a horrific way.”
The child was seriously injured and died in the hospital. A man was also shot in the body, and a woman was hit in the hand by a bullet. Both are being treated at the hospital.
A woman in her 50s was stabbed in the parking lot of a pub in Kirkby, Merseyside, last night. Two men have been arrested.
Police are also still searching for two people who left on electric bicycles after a man in his early 20s was shot dead in Toxteth town center late on the evening of Aug. 16.
Gun violence has been a problem in Liverpool for decades, and yesterday’s murder occurred 15 years to the day after 11-year-old Rhys Jones was shot dead in Croxteth as he walked home from soccer practice.
A 12-year-old girl named Ava White was stabbed to death in Liverpool city center last November after an argument over a Snapchat video. Just last month, a teenager was jailed for her death.
Ms. Dale was the first woman to be killed with a gun in Liverpool since Lucy Hargreaves, a 22-year-old mother, was shot dead by three masked men on her sofa while her children, aged 9 months, 2 years, and 5 years, slept upstairs.
Paula Barker, Labour MP for Liverpool Wavertree, said of the latest murder, “It’s heartbreaking, of course, and it happens 15 years to the day after Rhys Jones was also killed for no reason on the streets of our city.” This is completely wrong, and this kind of senseless violence needs to stop.
“I believe that as a city we stick together in tough times and I know everyone in Liverpool will be shocked this morning.”
Ms. Barker also said it had taken “so many years” for Rhys to be held to account and she asked anyone with information to contact Merseyside Police, whether they wish to remain anonymous or not.
“We can’t let this happen to this little girl’s family,” she said.
With the area around the Knotty Ash home where last night’s shooting occurred widely cordoned off, police officers and sniffer dogs are now searching for the gunman who fired the shots. They are going door to door talking to people in an attempt to find him. No arrests have been made yet.
One person, who did not want to be named, said, “This is disgusting, and we’re not going to tolerate it here.” People will probably find out who did it because a child was involved, and he deserves to be found because he’s a coward.”
Another resident said she heard four gunshots last night, and a woman who did not want to be named said the tragedy made her worry about her own children.
“It’s horrible.” “This can’t go on,” she said. “I have four boys, and it’s shocking that this happened so close to us. The kids always play in the street here.
Police said they are going house to house, looking at surveillance cameras and conducting forensic examinations. A cordon has also been set up.
Assistant Chief Constable Sims added, “This crime is terrible and our communities need to come forward and tell us who did it.”
“This cowardly person doesn’t deserve to be out on the streets, and I’d like to ask anyone who knows anything to talk to us and tell us what they know so we can put the person responsible where they belong: in jail.”
“We are looking into a number of leads as soon as possible, and anyone who lives, works, or was in the Kingsheath Avenue area last night and has dashcam, CCTV, or cell phone footage, please send it to us.”
On Sunday, just after midnight, Ashley Dale was shot and killed outside of the house in Old Swan. So far, no one has been caught.
Gunmen may have sprayed bullets inside her £70,000 three-bedroom terraced home, where she “lived mostly alone” and where the door was broken down.
Sadly, this is not the first time in recent years that a young girl has been killed in Liverpool. Ava White, who was 12, was killed by a 14-year-old boy after they got into a fight outside of Primark on November 25, 2017.
The boy, who can’t be named because of the law, was found guilty of killing her by a jury on May 24. He was given a life sentence with a minimum of 13 years to serve on July 11 at Liverpool Crown Court.
Violence and sexual crimes have been getting worse in the city, making it the most dangerous place in Merseyside and one of the worst in the UK.
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