The family of Ava White who was stabbed to death in Liverpool City Centre have paid tribute to murdered Olivia Pratt-Korbel.
Olivia, nine, was shot and killed when a gunman forced his way into her family's home in Kingsheath Avenue, Dovecot at 10pm on Monday, August 22. The tragedy came nine months after the death of Ava White, 12, who was fatally wounded in the neck by a flick knife following a row about a Snapchat video.
A foundation set up by Ava’s heartbroken mum, Leanne, laid a heart-shaped wreath, decorated with a white ribbon, in memory of Olivia near her home in Dovecot.
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A message read: “Olivia, taken far too soon, sleep peacefully little girl, from the Ava White Foundation xxx.”
Olivia died when the gunman’s intended target, convicted burglar Joseph Nee, 35, burst into her home as he fled his attacker last Monday. She was the third person to be shot dead in the city in six days, after Ashley Dale, 28, died on August 21 and Sam Rimmer, 22, on August 16.
Det Chief Supt Mark Kameen said: “The murder of Olivia in her own home, the place where she should have been safest, has crossed all boundaries and detectives are working round the clock to find the person or persons responsible.”
A week after Olivia's murder, police were on Monday night stopping traffic nearby, and asking drivers for help.
Local councillor Harry Doyle tweeted: "Great to see Merseyside Police out in force again today on East Prescot Road stopping all inbound traffic to the city. We need these killers behind bars. Speak up and share any info for Olivia, Ashley & Sam."
In the past week 200 people have been arrested across Merseyside in a clampdown on criminal gangs. Police revealed they have also seized “a significant amount of vehicles, suspected Class A and B drugs and firearms”.
And on Monday night they said the figure had increased by 32 in 24 hours, bringing the total to 202, under a clampdown codenamed Operation Miller.
Det Chief Supt Mark Kameen, said: “If you are involved in serious organised crime on Merseyside we are not going anywhere soon and we will continue to disrupt the criminality you are involved in. Our resources have been significantly boosted by officers from across the UK (investigation, firearms and uniformed officers) and we will leave no stone unturned in our search for those who killed nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel, Ashley Dale and Sam Rimmer.
“The actions of these individuals has also turned our attention to organised crime groups who are blighting the lives of decent, law-abiding members of the community, and we are acting on information coming in to take them out so we can to make our streets safer for the future. Information from our communities in relation to the murders is still coming in and we are acting on all the information we receive.
"The murder of Olivia in her own home, the place where she should have been safest, has crossed all boundaries and detectives and uniformed officers are working round the clock to find the person, or persons responsible.”
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