Four new arrests have been made in connection with the shooting of Ashley Dale in her own home.
Miss Dale, 28, died after a gunman forced open the front door of her house in Leinster Road, Old Swan, in the early hours of Sunday, August 21, and fired multiple shots "indiscriminately". Merseyside Police were called by concerned neighbours who heard shots and saw a woman lying on the ground in the back yard of the property.
Miss Dale, considered a "rising star" in her job as an Environmental Health officer at Knowsley Council, was pronounced dead a short time later. Her death came five days after the fatal shooting of 22-year-old Sam Rimmer in Dingle, and less than 24 hours before the murder of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel in Dovecot.
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This afternoon Merseyside Police announced four men had been arrested in connection with the shooting, at locations across Merseyside and Cumbria. The suspects include:
- A 27-year-old man from Roby arrested on suspicion of murder and possession of a firearm
- A 40-year-old man from Huyton arrested on suspicion of murder and possession of a firearm
- A 35-year-old man from Old Swan arrested on suspicion of murder and possession of a firearm
- A 57-year-old man from Croxteth arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender
All four have been taken to police stations for questioning. Two men and two women previously arrested in connection with Miss Dale's murder remain on bail.
Detective Chief Inspector Cath Cummings previously said: “Although progress is being made, I’d still like to urge anyone with information who has yet to come forward to do so as soon as possible. Please do not assume that what you know has been passed on by someone else, or that it is not significant enough to bring to our attention. I have a team of dedicated detectives who will make that assessment. Help us find justice for Ashley’s family, and for a community devastated by her loss.
“From extensive ongoing CCTV enquiries, we do know there were people walking close to the scene at the time of the offence. If this was you or someone you know, please come forward as you may, without realising, hold vital information to assist this investigation.
“Similarly, I would continue to ask taxi and delivery drivers if they were driving in the area between 12.20am and 12.40am and have dashcam footage to please contact us."
Please submit any information you have directly with our investigation team through our online portal: Public Portal ( Public Portal (mipp.police.uk). This will make sure that your information is received and acted on as quickly as possible by detectives.
Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously, on 0800 555 111 or via their online form at: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/give-information.
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