A man shot multiple times in the legs and back was sitting by a memorial to a murdered friend when the "targeted" attack began.
The victim, 23, is understood to have been chatting with friends in a pedestrianised area between Croxdale Road West and Croxdale Road, West Derby, at around 4.55pm on Saturday (July 2). Floral tributes and a painted mural have been laid at the scene in memory of Elliot Mulligan, 22, who was stabbed to death in Albufeira, Portugal, on April 25 this year.
Mr Mulligan had previously lived on the adjoining Snowberry Road, before moving to Northern Ireland. Locals in the area of the shooting told the ECHO Mr Mulligan's friends and others regularly gathered at the scene.
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A resident who knew both Mr Mulligan and the victim of the shooting told the ECHO: "He was just sitting there, at the area where the memorial is, when it happened. We gather there on sometimes a daily basis.
"I haven't got a clue what it's about, there are that many gangs and disputes these days it could be anything. The people who ran out to him drove him to hospital, they thought he might have bled out if they had waited for an ambulance."
Shocking video footage of the incident circulating on social media, showed a man appearing to stand over the victim holding a handgun before seven loud bangs ring out in quick succession. A number of people can be seen fleeing on foot while a man also rides off on a bike.
Merseyside Police said the gunman is believed to have fled the scene in a white Seat Leon, and said the victim presented at hospital with gunshot wounds around 15 minutes later having been driven to A&E by witnesses. He is now said to be in a serious but stable condition.
The ECHO previously reported how a number of passers-by rushed to help and applied pressure to the victim's wounds in the aftermath of the shooting. A short video clip showed around four people providing aid and comforting him.
Merseyside Police said a 62-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender, but has since been released without charge. Detective Inspector John Mullen, from the force's Firearms Investigation Team, said: “Our extensive enquiries continue into a shooting this weekend which left a man injured.
"While, fortunately, the victim is recovering from his injuries, this does not lessen the shock the community will have experienced at a firearm being used on a residential street in broad daylight. Rest assured, we are pursuing multiple lines of enquiry to bring those responsible to justice and I would urge anyone with any information to come forward.
“Our officers will be out on patrol in the Croxdale Road West area in the coming days so if you saw anything on Saturday afternoon, however insignificant it may seem, please come and let us know. Through information provided by our communities and proactive policing operations and tactics, we have seen a decrease in firearms incidents over the past two years.
“We’re determined to keep preventing them from happening so that our communities can continue to live, work and enjoy going out free from the fear of incidents such as this. If you know anything, please tell us, either directly or anonymously, so we can take positive action and make Merseyside safer.”
Anyone with any CCTV, dashcam or doorbell footage or information about this incident, is asked to DM the Merseyside Police social media desk on Twitter @MerPolCC or Facebook ‘Merseyside Police Contact Centre’ with reference 22000467138. You can also contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously, on 0800 555 111 or via their online form here.
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