A "beautiful young man" weeks away from becoming a dad was beaten to death by a gang of around eight people who left him with injuries resembling a "car crash".
Michael Toohey, 18, suffered multiple blunt force injuries while the subject of a ferocious and sustained attack in the area of London Road, Liverpool city centre, on Saturday. Emergency services were called to the scene at around 5.50pm, where they found Michael inside the Mobiles Junction and Internet café on Monument Place.
He was rushed to the Royal Liverpool Hospital but he was pronounced dead later that evening. Merseyside Police are hunting for those involved and have so far arrested a 34-year-old woman from Fazakerley on suspicion of assisting an offender.
READ MORE: Man, 18, killed in city centre attack was weeks away from becoming a dad
The ECHO understands that Michael, of Oil Street in Vauxhall, suffered multiple injuries including those consistent with the use of a heavy weapon. A source with knowledge of the investigation told the ECHO: "The ferocity of it was horrendous. The injuries were the same as a car crash. It is believed there were up to eight people involved."
Merseyside Police said a post-mortem examination had been carried out and the cause of Michael's death was described as "multiple injuries". Detectives are pursuing several lines of enquiry including sightings of a vehicle being driven "erratically" in the area.
Earlier today Michael's family released a powerful tribute to the "beautiful, well-mannered, placid young man". In a statement issued via Merseyside Police, they said: "Michael came from a beautiful accepting family who would welcome anybody and do anything for anyone in need.
"The family please ask if anybody knows or hears of anything related to Michael's tragic death please come forward and prevent this from happening to anyone else's innocent child. A boy full of potential and grace has had his life taken from him and his family left devastated, who could be responsible for such a horrific act?
"Rest in paradise our beautiful boy. We will miss your cheeky face. Forever young. Goodnight, Godbless our beautiful boy Michael Toohey."
Michael had recently moved into a new home with his pregnant partner and was "excited for what the future had in store for them," the statement said. The tragedy is also not first of its kind to affect the family, who said Michael's cousin, Johnny Delaney, was attacked and left for dead in Ellesmere Port in 2003, days before his 16th birthday.
Detective Chief Inspector Steve McGrath said: "We are continuing to follow a number of lines of enquiry and I would ask anyone who has not already contacted us, to do so as a matter of urgency. A young man has tragically lost his life and we are committed to finding the person or people responsible and putting them behind bars.
"This incident happened in a busy area of Liverpool City Centre at around 5.40pm on Saturday evening. We know there were a number of people stood at bus stops on London Road, walking past TJ Hughes or driving along London Road who may have witnessed this incident or a vehicle that was seen driving erratically in the area at that time.
“I am keen to appeal to those people to come forward so we can speak to them. Similarly anybody who may have mobile phone footage or dash cam footage then please come forward.”
Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact @MerPolCC, 101 or @CrimestoppersUK, anonymously on 0800 555 111 with reference 22000261976. Anyone with any footage, is urged to upload it via this link to the NICE website.
