Liverpool shooting: Girl’s death came on 15th anniversary of gun murder of 11-year-old Rhys Jones
New tragedy in Merseyside has revived memories of the ‘shock and sorrow’ of child’s death in 2007
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A nine-year-old girl was shot dead in Liverpool 15 years to day after the fatal shooting in the city of 11-year-old Rhys Jones.
Olivia Pratt-Korbel, was killed by an intruder as a gun chase spilled into her home on Monday night.
Her death came as the city marked the anniversary of the murder of Jones, a young Everton fan who was caught in the crossfire between two criminal gangs as he left the Croxteth Fir Tree pub car park in Liverpool on 22 August 2007.
Sixteen-year-old Sean Mercer fired the gun that killed the schoolboy and was sentenced to a minimum of 22 years in prison after he denied murder but was found guilty. Mercer, a member of the Croxteth Crew, had intended to shoot rival Wayne Brady, who was a member of the Norris Green Strand Gang.
While Rhys' family and friends grieved their loss, Mercer and his fellow gang members immediately began a cover up of the crime, and it would take months before police were able to catch the criminals.
At least 12 people had witnessed Rhys Jones being shot, but a wall of silence surrounded his killing forcing police to release Mercer and James Yate - who provided the gun - due to a lack of evidence.
An extensive police investigation followed including numerous public appeals with pleas for information being broadcast during Everton and Liverpool matches while a dedicated hotline was set up to receive information about the incident.
However, it was detectives placing a listening device in the house of a Croxteth Crew member that led to police listening to a conversation in which Yates discussed details about the gangs cover up, and this ultimately gave them a major new lead.
The conversation led them to Boy X, the anonymous witness who played a key role in catching Rhys' killer and his accomplices. Just 20 minutes after shooting Rhys, Mercer convinced Boy X, a 17-year-old who had no criminal record, to take the gun and hide it.
The police raided Boy X's home and found the gun that had been used to kill Rhys. Boy X initially said he wasn’t sure who gave him the gun but eventually admitted to police it was Mercer in exchange for immunity and witness protection.
Paula Barker, the MP for Jones’s consituency Liverpool Wavertree, remembered the 11-year-old’s death as the city reacts to another shooting of a young person on Monday night.
“It’s obviously horrific another young life that has been tragically lost 15 years after the death of Rhys Jones,” Ms Barker said.
“It’s in my colleague Ian Byrne’s constituency, it borders on my constituency. The feeling is one of shock and sorrow.
“It’s mindless violence, Ashley [Dale] was my constituent and it’s just unspeakable really.
“There is a culture in the city that people shouldn’t grass on each other, what I would say clearly is if anyone has any information about murders in the city in recent weeks please contact Merseyside Police, a nine-year-old has lost their life.”
Assistant mayor Harry Doyle said he was the same age as Rhys Jones, who was fatally shot in Croxteth 15 years ago.
“We knew something was going on last night, we could see police lights but waking up to the news this morning has been devastating,” Mr Doyle told The Independent.
“We’re a close-knit community here, kids often play out in the street together, there’ll be kids around here who just lost a friend.”
On Rhys Jones’ anniversary, he added: “I remember the atmosphere in the city, and not just the city actually, nationwide, around the shooting of Rhys Jones was just absolutely awful.
“I remember my family being equally - I look at families this morning on the doorsteps - as worried and concerned and devastated.
“My mum wouldn't let me walk to school around that time. It is unthinkable and it's unbelievable that this has happened again 15 years on.
“We thought we'd rid ourselves of this violence and this week we've seen it return.”
Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims said: “This is a truly shocking incident in which tragically a young and innocent girl has been shot and sadly died.
"Our thoughts and condolences go to her family and friends at this very difficult time. No parent should ever have to suffer the loss of a child in these dreadful circumstances.
“This crime is abhorrent and our communities must come forward and tell us who is responsible.
“This cowardly individual does not deserve to be walking the streets and I would urge those who know anything to speak to us and tell us what they know so that we can put the person responsible behind bars where they belong.
“We are carrying out a number of lines of enquiry as a matter of urgency and would ask for dashcam, CCTV or mobile phone footage from anyone who lives, works or was visiting the area of Kingsheath Avenue last night.”