Merseyside Police urged the community to search their consciences after the “deplorable attack”
This is the moment a hooded gunman snuck around a car and fired a gunshot at a man while a screaming mum and child ran for cover. In a widely shared video on social media, the gunman can be seen approaching the front of a house on Simonswood Lane, Kirkby, before firing a single shot towards a 61-year-old man.
Following the shot, a woman, believed to be related to the victim, shouts “get in the house” and pushes the man and a young child towards the open front door. As the hooded gunman runs from the scene, a blood-curdling scream can be heard. The ECHO has released a still image of the terrifying incident to highlight the devastating impact gun crime continues to have on our streets.
Merseyside Police confirmed to the ECHO earlier this week that officers were first called to the Kirkby street at around 8.55pm on Monday, September 30. The victim was taken to hospital for assessment and is currently in a stable condition. A 41-year-old man from Kirkby was arrested on Tuesday morning on suspicion of section 18 wounding with intent and possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life.
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The suspect has since been conditionally bailed pending further enquiries. An increased police presence will remain in the area, including a mobile police station, and officers have additional powers to stop and search individuals and minimise further incidents until tomorrow morning.
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Detective Chief Inspector Phil Atkinson from Merseyside Police’s firearms investigation team, said: “This was a deplorable attack in which the offender walked up the driveway of a home in a residential area and shot a man in the leg. While a man suffered a leg injury during the incident, there were others very close by at the time, including a young child.
“It goes without saying that the consequences of the offender pulling the trigger so close to a child and other adults could have proved unimaginably tragic. This incident serves as an unwelcome reminder of the potential harm that offenders carrying and using guns in Merseyside can bring, and only strengthens our resolve to keep taking action to take firearms off our streets.
“At this time, we are investigating if this was a targeted attack and will keep an open mind as to the motive. Anyone pulling the trigger of a firearm in a residential street risks causing serious harm or worse to anyone living nearby.”
Knowsley local policing Superintendent Karl Baldwin said: “In Merseyside, we know all too well the devastation gun crime can cause. We have seen families torn apart by grief and communities rocked. We are sure that the vast majority of people in Kirkby will share our disgust that a lethal weapon has been fired outside a family home, with a child in close vicinity.
“This is a line which has been crossed before, so those within the community who hold information should search their consciences and get in touch immediately.”
He added: “If you have information on where guns are stored, used or traded – no matter how insignificant it might seem – we need to know. The information we need to put a stop to gun crime in Kirkby and across Merseyside is out there – we just need you to tell us.”
