A nine-year-old girl was shot and killed in Liverpool and two other people injured after a man fired a gun inside a house.
Merseyside Police have begun a murder investigation and launched a manhunt for the killer.
Officers were called to reports of a shooting at a house in Kingsheath Avenue, Knotty Ash, at 10pm on Monday.
The child suffered a gunshot injury to her chest and was taken in critical condition to hospital, where she later died.
“This is a truly shocking incident in which tragically a young and innocent girl has been shot and sadly died,” assistant chief constable Jenny Sims of Merseyside Police said.
Have you been impacted by this? If so, email thomas.kingsley@independent.co.uk
Police said in a statement on Tuesday morning that the girl’s family members have been informed and are being supported by specially trained family liaison officers.
“Our thoughts and condolences go to her family and friends at this very difficult time. No parent should ever have to suffer the loss of a child in these dreadful circumstances,” Ms Sims said.
The others who were injured in the incident include a man and a woman who have been taken to hospital for treatment. The man suffered gunshot wounds to his body while the woman suffered one to her hand, according to police.
Describing the crime as “abhorrent”, Ms Sims said the suspect “does not deserve to be walking the streets”.
CCTV, forensic and house-to-house enquiries are being carried out by police over the incident, it said in its statement.
“We are carrying out a number of lines of enquiry as a matter of urgency and would ask for dashcam, CCTV or mobile phone footage from anyone who lives, works or was visiting the area of Kingsheath Avenue last night,” Ms Sims added.
A resident in Knotty Ash, Liverpool, said she saw police at the scene of the shooting in which a nine-year-old girl died when she woke up at midnight.
The woman, who asked not to be named, said: “I've not lived here long, but you don't really hear these sorts of things happening around here.
“I woke up at 12am and police were already here.
“I didn't hear anything, but it's awful what's happened.”
Assistant mayor Harry Doyle said he was the same age as Rhys Jones, who was fatally shot in Croxteth 15 years ago.
“We knew something was going on last night, we could see police lights but waking up to the news this morning has been devastating,” Mr Doyle told The Independent.
“We’re a close-knit community here, kids often play out in the street together, there’ll be kids around here who just lost a friend.”
On Rhys Jones’ anniversary, he added: “I remember the atmosphere in the city, and not just the city actually, nationwide, around the shooting of Rhys Jones was just absolutely awful.
“I remember my family being equally - I look at families this morning on the doorsteps - as worried and concerned and devastated.
“My mum wouldn't let me walk to school around that time. It is unthinkable and it's unbelievable that this has happened again 15 years on.
“We thought we'd rid ourselves of this violence and this week we've seen it return.”
Liverpool metro mayor Steve Rotherham said: “I’m absolutely sickened by this senseless loss of a young girl’s life. An innocent child, with a whole life ahead of her, has not only had her future stolen, but from her entire family too.
“The heartbreak and pain they must be feeling today is unimaginable, and my thoughts are with them and everyone who knew and loved her.”
Mr Rotherham added that the death of the nine-year-old comes as residents remember the fatal shooting of Rhys Jones which shook the region “to its very core.”
Paula Barker Labour MP for Liverpool Wavertree said: “It's obviously horrific another young life that has been tragically lost 15 years after the death of Rhys Jones. It's in my colleague Ian Burn's constituency, it borders on my constituency. The feeling is one of shock and sorrow
“It's mindless violence, Ashley [Dale] was my constituent and it's just unspeakable really.
“There is a culture in the city that people shouldn't grass on each other, what I would say clearly is if anyone has any information about murders in the city in recent weeks please contact Merseyside Police, a 9-year-old has lost their life.”
The same night as the Knotty Ash shootings, two men were arrested over the fatal stabbing of a woman in her 50s in Cherryfield Drive, Kirkby.
In a separate incident, 28-year-old Knowsley Council worker Ashley Dale died after being shot in the Old Swan area of Liverpool in the early hours of Sunday.
And police are still searching for two people who fled on electric bikes following the fatal shooting of a man in his early 20s in inner-city Toxteth late on 16 August.
Merseyside Police have asked anyone with information on the Knotty Ash shootings to direct message MerPolCC or call CrimestoppersUK on 0800 555 111 quoting log 1083 of August 22.
