Concerned witnesses heard tyres screeching before spotting fatally injured Ashley Dale lying in her back yard, a coroner's court heard.
Andre Rebello, senior coroner for Liverpool and Wirral, opened inquests into the death of the 28-year-old environmental health officer alongside nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel and 22-year-old Sam Rimmer this afternoon.
Miss Dale was murdered in horrific circumstances when a gunman forced open her front door in Leinster Road, Old Swan, and opened fire "indiscriminately". Merseyside Police say they do not believe Miss Dale was the intended target, but do believe her address was targeted for reasons detectives are working to establish.
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Gerard Majella Courthouse heard how a Home Office pathologist recorded Miss Dale's medical cause of death as a gunshot wound to the abdomen. Mr Rebello told the court: "At 12.41am on August 21 a concerned member of the public contacted Merseyside Police advising that there was a female lying on her back on the floor of the back-yard of her home address in Leinster Road.
"Officers attended and noted that the front door had been forced. They entered the house to conduct a search and found the back door was open and insecure. Ashley was located lying on her back unresponsive."
Mr Rebello said what appeared to be a puncture wound to her front was visible and a mobile phone was located near to where she had collapsed. The court heard several bullet casings were found at the property and no-one else was present at the house when officers arrived.
Mr Rebello said house-to-house enquiries were conducted, which saw witnesses report hearing loud bangs and a vehicle "screeching off" around the time of the murder. Police officers attempted CPR until paramedics took over, but Miss Dale was pronounced dead at the Royal Liverpool Hospital at 1.48am.
Mr Rebello said: "Merseyside Police have launched a homicide investigation and though there have been some arrests there have been no charges. I understand that Merseyside Police would be very grateful to any members of the public who can give any information to assist the apprehension of whoever was responsible for Ashley being fatally wounded."
He described finding the killer as key to helping Miss Dale's family through a "very difficult bereavement journey".
Mr Rebello said Ashley's body no longer needed to be kept back for forensic reasons and released her to allow her family to lay her to rest. The inquest was adjourned until January 4 next year.
Merseyside Police have so far arrested a 25-year-old man on suspicion of Mis Dale's murder and a 21-year-old woman on suspicion of assisting an offender. Both have been released on conditional bail pending further enquiries.
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