People on Merseyside were horrified after two shootings took place days apart.
The first incident occurred Tuesday around 3 pm Officers received a report that a man had been shot in an alley on Rosalind Way in Kirkdale. The 21-year-old was taken to hospital with a gunshot wound to the neck.
His condition was described as serious but not life-threatening. When ECHO visited the scene around 9:30 pm Tuesday, a huge police cordon covered a large area of empty grassland on Rosalind Way, which is behind several houses.
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Various other cordons were also placed at numerous entrances to a large alley that lies between Rosalind Way and Olivia Street. A person who lives in the area said he heard a “bang” but thought it was a “backfiring motorcycle.” They added that “children were playing in the street” at the time of the incident.
Police said two men dressed in dark clothing were reportedly seen running from the scene towards Westminster Road. At this stage, the shooting is believed to have been targeted, police said.
Chief Inspector Jim Wilde said: “The use of a firearm on a residential street at any time, but especially in the afternoon, is incredibly reckless and dangerous. Our officers are currently speaking with potential witnesses in the area and studying CCTV footage for clues as to why this happened and more importantly who is responsible so they can be brought to justice.
“We are eager to hear from anyone we have not yet spoken to who witnessed the incident, or saw or heard someone acting suspicious in the area around 3 p.m. They may live nearby or have been passing through. the area at that time on foot or in a vehicle.
“Any information you have — dash cam or CCTV footage — could help us find the person who did this and get them off the streets. Through information provided by our communities and proactive police operations and tactics, we have seen a decline in firearms incidents over the past two years.
“We are determined to continue to prevent them from happening so our communities can continue to live, work and have a night out without fear of incidents like this. If you tell us anything you know about this incident, we will take positive action and make Merseyside safer.”
On Friday, neighbors living on a “quiet estate” said they heard a series of loud bangs as a gunman opened fire on a house. Birch Grove in Wavertree was at the center of a police investigation after shots were fired at a property while people were inside.
Police were called to the area around 11:20 p.m. Thursday, where they found damage to a home’s front door that was consistent with a gun shot. There were no reports of anyone being injured during the shooting, which detectives described as “extremely reckless and dangerous.”
One woman, who has lived in the area since the first houses were built more than 40 years ago, described it as a “quiet area” where everyone knows each other. She returned home shortly before midnight Thursday to find “cops everywhere” and a van patrolling the area.
She told ECHO: “We’ve all been here since day one, so all our kids and grandkids come here to play. I was absolutely shocked. You can usually hear a pin drop, that’s how quiet it is around here.”
Another woman said, “I know you hear people say it on the news, but it’s really quiet around here. No one is in each other’s pockets, but everyone is there for each other. You feel safe here.”
Several residents reported hearing a series of loud explosions around the time of the shooting last night. One man said that around 11 p.m. he heard “four rapid shots.”
Detective Chief Inspector Rachel Wilson said: “The investigations are in the early stages as we seek to establish what happened last night. While no injuries have been reported, firing a gun is extremely reckless and dangerous.
“I would like to assure the local community that we are working to find those responsible and bring them to justice. I ask anyone who was in the Birch Grove area of Wavertree last night who saw or heard anything suspicious to reach out. with us. .
“Similarly, if you were driving in the Wavertree area last night and you have dash cam footage, please review it and let us know if you captured anything significant. Whether you contact us directly or anonymously through Crimestoppers, please tell us what you know to help us remove dangerous weapons and those who use them from our streets.”
If anyone has information on the Kirkdale incident please contact reference 544 on April 19 via DM on our social media desk on Twitter @MerPolCC or Facebook ‘Merseyside Police Contact Center’.
For the Wavertree incident, anyone with information is asked to PM @MerPolCC or @CrimestoppersUK anonymously on 0800 555 111 quoting reference 22000274290.
Reference-www.liverpoolecho.co.uk