Knotty Ash shooting on eve of Olivia Pratt-Korbel murder anniversary

On Tuesday night, a gunman opened fire on a house in Knotty Ash, a short distance from where Olivia was shot dead back in 2022.

On this occasion, shots were fired at the outside of a house and nobody was hurt, but it served as a chilling reminder of the reckless attitude by criminals in the city towards using firearms.

One neighbour told LBC: “It’s anxiety isn’t it, it’s not nice – what can you say?”

Another said: “It’s just shock. I don’t know what makes people carry a gun, you’d be terrified every time you go out. What’s Olivia’s mum going to think when she reads that?”.

One elderly resident told LBC she doesn’t feel safe, she said: “I don’t at the minute, you’re just watching your back aren’t you. My neighbour said they heard gunshots. You’re watching a film, next minute you see all the blue lights.”

She added: “There’s a lot of drugs about aren’t there. I’m old and there’s a few old ones here, and we’ve felt not ourselves thinking you could be sat there watching the television and someone could fire a gun. That’s happened before. It’s scary. It’s all related to drugs.”

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Nine-year-old Olivia was one of three innocent people to die at the hands of gun violence in the space of just a week, the others being Sam Rimmer, 22, and Ashley Dale, 28. Each one was inside their home and not the intended target. The response by Merseyside Police was to launch ‘Operation Evolve’ – a three-tiered approach to ridding communities of gang violence.

Cheryl Korbel, Olivia’s mum, said: “My little girl was only nine years old when she was shot in her own home. She had her whole life ahead of her and the pain of her loss is indescribable.

“It has been three years since I last heard her laugh, put her to bed or held her hand but the pain of her loss still feels like it happened yesterday.

“I will never see her grow up, get married, have children of her own or fulfil her dreams and that is devastating.

“EVOLVE was created to help prevent further tragedies and other families from having to endure the pain we feel every single day.

“While it’s making a difference we need your help. To keep our communities safest, if you know anything about criminality, please speak out.”

Despite the most recent shooting, authorities on Merseyside have made a significant dent in gang activity over the last three years, with more than 5,300 arrests, around 630kg of Class A and B drugs seized with an estimated street value of several million pounds, around £2.5 million seized in cash and assets, more than 260 offensive weapons taken off the streets and 28 firearms seized.

Detective Chief Superintendent Graeme Robson, who leads EVOLVE, said: “This is not just about numbers – this is about lives. No family should have to endure the pain of losing a loved one to crime.

“While serious and organised crime in Merseyside is falling, one weapon fired is one too many.

“We are working tirelessly with our partners to create safer communities. The results are impressive, but we are not stopping here.

“Young people are key to creating lasting change. We are working closely with schools and youth organisations to educate young people and try to prevent them from going down the wrong path or falling victim to criminal gangs looking to exploit them for their financial gain.

“The wider community also plays a vital role. Law-abiding residents don’t want to live in the shadows of gangs, and we have seen an increase in reports to Crimestoppers and our Force since 2022.

“This information, combined with the work of dedicated teams, is helping drive real change.

“Every piece of information helps us to protect more lives, so we urge the public to keep coming forward so we can continue to make a difference - together.

“We have brought Ashley, Olivia and Elle’s killers to justice, but we are still seeking justice for Sam and his family. I encourage anyone with information to do the right thing and tell us what you know.”

Operation Evolve was extended to the Wirral in the wake of Elle Edwards’ murder on Christmas Eve 2022. Elle, 26, was another innocent victim who was having a drink outside a pub when she was shot dead by a gang member with a Skorpion machine gun.

Tim Edwards, Elle’s dad, added: “Losing Elle shattered our world and left a hole in our lives that can never be filled. No family should ever have to go through what we have.

“EVOLVE gives me hope because it’s about stopping that pain from touching other people – taking dangerous people off the streets and working together to protect our communities.

“Elle should still be here, living her life and making plans for her future. We can’t change what happened to her but we can help stop it from happening to someone else.

“If you know something, please come forward. Your courage could save a life and spare another family the pain we live with every day.”