Olivia Pratt-Korbel, nine, was identified as the victim of last night’s shooting in Liverpool.
Her family had no connection to the shooter and were caught in the ‘wrong place at the wrong time,’ according to police.
At 10 p.m. last night, the shooting occurred in the city’s Dovecot neighbourhood.
Two men were walking down Kingsheath Avenue when they were approached by a ‘lone person’ wearing a padded jacket and a balaclava.
The unknown man opened fire on the couple.
Cheryl, Olivia’s mother, heard the uproar and opened her front door to look out onto the street.
The gunman then barged his way into the house, followed by one of the men, a 35-year-old.
When the shots started, Olivia was standing directly behind her mother. She was fatally injured and died as a result of her injuries.
Cheryl was also injured in the heinous attack.
According to police, the 35-year-old man who forced his way into the house was also shot.
Friends picked him up in a black Audi and drove him to the hospital “while Olivia lay dying.
Detective Chief Superintendent Mark Kameen spoke at a press conference today to explain how the tragedy occurred.
‘We now believe that two men were walking along Kingsheath Avenue from the direction of Finch Lane around 10 p.m.,’ he said.
‘At that point, they were approached by a lone person, possibly a male, dressed in a black padded jacket, a black balaclava with a peak, dark pants, and black gloves. This person was about 5ft 7ins tall and slim in build, and they were carrying a handgun.’
Shots were fired, drawing the attention of many on the street, including Olivia’s mother Cheryl, who opened the door to her home.
Merseyside Police’s DCS Mark Kameen and Chief Constable Serena Kennedy speak to the media at the force’s headquarters in Rose Hill after a nine-year-old girl was fatally shot in Knotty Ash, Liverpool, on Monday. Officers were called to a house on Kingsheath Avenue in Knotty Ash and found two people with gunshot wounds. The film will be released on Tuesday, August 23, 2022. PA Photo. POLICE KnottyAsh is a PA story. Peter Byrne/PA Wire should be the photo credit.
The aftermath of a 9-year-old girl’s death in a house on Kingsheath Avenue in Knotty Ash, Liverpool, on August 23, 2022.
The schoolgirl died after being shot in the chest in a house on Kingsheath Avenue in Liverpool’s Knotty Ash neighbourhood around 10 p.m. last night (Mon). According to police in Merseyside, an unknown man burst into the house and shot her in the chest. She was rushed to the hospital in critical condition, but she was later pronounced dead. In the ‘heinous’ incident, a man was also shot in the body, and a woman was shot in the hand, according to police. It happened 15 years after the death of Rhys Jones, an 11-year-old boy who was shot as he walked home from football practise in the city. It is also the third shooting death of a young person in Liverpool in less than a week.
‘One of the men appears to have seen the door opening and run towards it,’ said DC Kameen.
‘He then forced his way into the property, despite Cheryl’s best efforts, and made his way inside.’
While that was going on, the person with the gun followed the male to this property.’ That person has also attempted to force entry into the property and appears to have managed to put their hand through the open door as Cheryl continued to try to close it.
‘A shot was fired, and we believe it struck Cheryl, injuring her and killing Olivia.’ Olivia, we believe, was standing directly behind Cheryl at the time.’
The murder ‘rocked the communities’ in the area, according to police, who have pleaded for anyone with information to come forward.
Following the incident, children have even put up signs warning of “people with guns.
Serena Kennedy, Chief Constable, stated that urgent investigations were being conducted to find those involved in the ‘heinous crime.
The people of Liverpool and Merseyside are known for their compassion and pulling together in times of crisis, and I know that our communities, people want to help the family in any way they can,’ she added.
‘Now is not the time for anyone who knows who is responsible for this shooting to keep quiet.
‘It is time for our communities to join us in making Merseyside a place where the use of guns on our streets is completely unacceptable, and those who use them are held accountable.’
Officers were dispatched to the home on Kingsheath Avenue after receiving reports that a gun had been fired inside.
Olivia was discovered with a gunshot wound to the chest. She was rushed to the hospital in critical condition, but she died later.
One man, whose son knew the schoolgirl, told the Liverpool Echo about the community’s reaction to her death.
‘We’re still in shock,’ he told the newspaper. ‘I don’t think it’s settled in yet.’
She was just a sweet little girl who rode her bike up and down the street.’ We need to get moving right away.
Following the news, Home Secretary Priti Patel expressed her “heartfelt condolences” to the family of the nine-year-old shot.
This morning, I spoke with the chief constable of Merseyside Police about the tragic shooting in Liverpool last night,’ she said.
‘It’s critical that anyone with information come forward to help the police with their investigations.’
‘The force has my full support, and any additional resources they require will be provided.’
Sniffer dogs and forensic officers were spotted late last night after a cordon was erected.
Neighbors on the street told the Liverpool Echo that they heard four gunshots before police arrived.
Merseyside Police Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims previously stated that officers were determined to apprehend the ‘cowardly individual’ responsible.
‘This is a truly shocking incident in which a young and innocent girl was tragically shot and sadly died,’ she added.
‘At this difficult time, our thoughts and condolences are with her family and friends.’ No parent should ever have to endure the bereavement of a child in these heinous circumstances.
The shooting occurred on the 11th anniversary of Rhys Jones’ death in August 2007.
The child was on his way home from football practise when he was shot in the back in the car park of Liverpool’s Fir Tree pub, an innocent bystander caught up in a feud between two rival gangs.
It is obviously devastating, and it comes 15 years to the day after Rhys Jones was senselessly murdered on the streets of our city,’ Paula Barker, Labour MP for Liverpool Wavertree, told BBC Breakfast. It is completely unacceptable, and this senseless violence must end.
‘I believe that in times of adversity, we come together as a city, and I know that people in Liverpool will be absolutely horrified this morning.’
More news from Liverpool
