Police have released aerial footage of the arrest of a 36-year-old man on suspicion of the murder of Olivia Pratt-Korbel and an image of a car thought to have been carrying the intended target of the shooting to hospital.
Merseyside Police has appealed to anyone who saw the black Audi Q3 in the days leading up to the shooting to come forward. The car has been seized and it is in the process of being forensically examined.
The schoolgirl was shot on Monday night by a gunman who chased his intended target into the family home in Dovecot, Liverpool, also injuring her mother Cheryl, 46.
Merseyside Police said a 36-year-old man, from the Huyton area, had been arrested on suspicion of Olivia’s murder and two counts of attempted murder after an operation involving armed officers on Thursday night.
He is currently in custody being questioned by detectives.
Detective Superintendent Mark Baker said: “Although we have made an arrest in connection with the horrific murder of Olivia, I want to make it completely clear that we need any information about this vehicle or the wider investigation as much as ever.
“Whatever information you have, and whether you are sure that it is the same vehicle or not, pass it on and we will assess its importance.”
Olivia‘s family have paid tribute to her, describing her as a “unique, chatty, nosey little girl who broke the mould when she was born”.
They added: “Although her life was short, her personality certainly wasn’t and she lived it to the most she could, and would blow people away with her wit and kindness.”
The family have urged people to “do the right thing”, and said: “If anyone knows anything, now is the time to speak up. It is not about being a ‘snitch’ or a ‘grass’, it is about finding out who took our baby away from us.”
Additional reporting by PA