A beautician who was shot dead outside a pub on Christmas Eve was a “beautiful young woman” who had a “bright future ahead”, a coroner said as she opened an inquest into her death.
Elle Edwards, 26, was out celebrating with friends when she was shot in the head outside the Lighthouse pub in Wallasey Village, Wirral, just before midnight on 24 December 2022.
Police believe she was not the intended victim of the shooting, in which four men were also injured.
Opening the inquest at the Gerard Majella courthouse in Liverpool on Thursday, the coroner Anita Bhardwaj said: “This is such a tragic death of a beautiful young woman who clearly had a bright future ahead of her and so much to offer both in her career as well as personally.
“We all appreciate, I think, as parents, nothing can prepare us for the death of a child in any way, shape or form, and I think we can only imagine what the parents and family are going through.”
The inquest heard that Edwards, whose occupation was given as dental nurse/beautician, was pronounced dead at Arrowe Park hospital on Christmas Day after being taken there from the pub.
Bhardwaj said: “Others were also shot at that location but sadly Elle was the one that lost her life.”
A provisional cause of death was given as gunshot wounds to the head. Bhardwaj said she would release Edwards’ body to her family. Toxicology analysis would be carried out before a full postmortem report, she said.
The inquest was adjourned to 5 May, when the coroner said there would be an update on the police investigation.
Three people have been arrested in connection with the killing and have since been released.
They include a 31-year-old man from Tranmere, Wirral, and a 19-year-old woman from Rock Ferry, Wirral, both held on suspicion of conspiracy to murder, who were bailed pending further inquiries. The other is a 30-year-old man from Tranmere, who was arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder.
