A nine-year-old girl was shot dead after a masked gunman firing “with complete disregard” chased a rival into their Liverpool home.
Olivia Pratt-Korbel died after the shooting on Monday night when a 35-year-old ran into the terraced house in the Dovecot area of Liverpool, in an attempt to get away from a shooter, Merseyside Police said.
Her mother Cheryl Korbel, 46, was shot in the wrist as she tried to close the door on the gunman while her nine-year-old daughter stood behind her.
Olivia Pratt-Korbel was shot dead in her own home
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Merseyside Police has now appealed to the “criminal fraternity” in the city for information, saying that the tragic incident “crosses every single boundary”.
Police believe the tragedy was a botched gangland execution, with the intended victim a well-known member of an organised crime group, the Guardian reports. There have been no arrests so far but investigators are looking for those who ordered the hit, supplied the gun and helped the injured man flee the scene.
The man who had entered their home suffered gunshot wounds to his upper body and, as Olivia lay dying, was picked up and taken to hospital by friends driving a dark-coloured Audi. The car has since been seized by officers, police confirmed.
The little girl was taken to Alder Hey hospital in critical condition with a gun wound to the chest after the shooting but was later pronounced dead.
Detective Chief Superintendent Mark Kameen, head of investigations at Merseyside Police, said the gunman, who was wearing a black balaclava with a peak and black gloves, had started “firing a number of shots with complete disregard for Olivia and her family”.
Olivia was killed when an intruder chased by a balaclava-wearing gunman rushed inside the property
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Police stressed that neither the gunman nor his intended victim had any connection to Olivia or her mother.
Chief Constable Serena Kennedy warned against a “no-grass” culture taking hold in the community, pledging to protect those who spoke to the police.
“Shockingly there are still callous criminals who are prepared to use weapons on our streets and have utter disregard for the heartache and the pain that they have caused to Olivia’s family,” she added.
Extra armed officers had been brought into the area in a bid to head off any gangland reprisals following a series of recent fatal shootings, she told the Guardian.
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Forensic officers near to the scene in Knotty Ash, Liverpool, where the nine-year-old girl was fatally shot
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Chief Constable Kennedy said Olivia’s “family are absolutely devastated, inconsolable and heartbroken”.
“I know that the murder of Olivia has rocked our communities, who are quite rightly upset and outraged that such an abhorrent crime has occurred here on the streets of Merseyside,” she continued.
“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 are wanting to help the family in any way possible.
“This is not the time for anyone who knows who’s responsible for this shooting to remain tight-lipped.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson described the shooting as an “unimaginable tragedy” and promised that Merseyside Police would get “whatever they need to catch those responsible”.
He said: “My thoughts are with Olivia Pratt-Korbel’s family and the people of Liverpool following this horrific, senseless shooting.”
An aerial view of forensics officers at the scene
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Rebecca Wilkinson, headteacher of St Margaret Mary’s Catholic Junior School, has paid tribute to Olivia, saying she had “a beautiful smile, a lovely sense of humour and a bubbly personality”.
She said: “Our school community is devasted at the sad loss of Olivia. We are in shock and disbelief at such tragic news.
“She was kind-hearted and would go out of her way to help others … Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends at this extremely sad time.”
Liverpool metro mayor Steve Rotheram said he was “absolutely sickened” by the “senseless loss” of Olivia’s life.
“An innocent child, with a whole life ahead of her, has not only had her future stolen, but from her entire family too,” he said.
Flowers are left near to the scene in Kingsheath Avenue
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Mr Rotheram added that the death of the nine-year-old comes as residents remember the fatal shooting of Rhys Jones 15 years ago, which shook the region “to its very core”.
Olivia’s death comes a day after the killing of Ashley Dale, 28, who was shot in her back garden in another part of the city in what police say was a case of mistaken identity.
Ms Dale died early on Sunday morning seven years after her teenage brother Lewis Dunne was shot dead in 2015 by a Liverpool gang who mistook him for a rival.
Commenting on Olivia’s killing, Liverpool West Derby MP Ian Byrne said there was “lots of anger out there”.
Police officers near to the scene in Kingsheath Avenue
(PA Wire)
The Labour MP told BBC Radio 4’s World At One programme: “It’s been exceedingly difficult listening to obviously the news this morning and then getting more details this afternoon of the horrific incidents around Olivia’s death.
“It’s been difficult to process for the whole community.”
Home secretary Priti Patel also offered her “heartfelt condolences” to Olivia’s family, promising Merseyside Police her “full support”.
“It is important that anyone with information comes forward to assist the police with their investigations. The force has my full support and will receive any additional resources they need,” she added.
Sir Keir Starmer said in a tweet that his thoughts were Olivia’s family as it was “devastating news, for them and their community”, while Liberal Democrats leader Ed Davey tweeted that it was “a heartbreaking tragedy for Liverpool and the whole country”.
