Friends of a woman killed in a pub shooting have recalled the moment gunshots were fired.
Elle Edwards had been enjoying a night out with friends and her sister on Christmas Eve, when she was shot in the head in the Lighthouse pub, in Wallasey Village. Police have confirmed the 26-year-old beautician was not believed to have been the intended target of the shooting, during which four men were also injured.
Those injured also included a 28-year-old man from Beechwood, Wirral, who is no longer in a critical condition but is continuing to receive medical treatment. A 22-year-old man also suffered an injury to his legs, a 24-year-old man sustained an injury to his hand and a 33-year-old man suffered an injury to his wrist.
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Friends of Elle, Meg and Jess, went to the scene of the shooting to lay tributes. They told Sky News that everything changed in a "split second" and that initially they believed the gunshots were "fireworks".
They said: "We went to go and get a drink, went to the bar and then we just heard bangs and we thought it was fireworks. with it being Christmas within like 10 minutes. At the time, obviously it was close to midnight so we just thought it was fireworks for Christmas."
Jess said she then just "had a feeling" something was wrong and then they saw Elle on the floor. Jess said: "The second I heard Elle, I was like, 'It's not, it's not, it's not.' I could see her on the floor, people around her trying to help her.
"You just feel hopeless, you can't help, you can't do anything." Meg said Elle, who worked at Nova Hair and Beauty Studio in Wirral, had been out with her sister.
They said her sister, who was like Elle's "soul mate" left the pub sometime earlier but Elle stayed out with them. Meg said: "It plays on your mind, knowing whether she should have gone home.
She added: "We had been dancing and singing and now she's on the floor." The friends described how the group were "singing and dancing inside the Lighthouse".
She said: "I've got videos of us all I can't stop watching...We were so happy. It happened so fast, I can't get it out of my head. I wish we could have done more, but there was nothing else we could have done."
Jess added: "I just felt grateful that I was still here but felt guilty because I was with my family on Christmas and she wasn't. [Elle's family] most definitely didn't celebrate. It could have been anyone - we were incredibly lucky, but it shouldn't have been her either."
Police have confirmed a 30-year-old man from Tranmere has been arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder. A 19-year-old woman from Rock Ferry has also been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder.
The two suspects have been taken into custody where they will be questioned by detectives. Merseyside Police is continuing to appeal for anyone with information to come forward as the investigation into Elle’s murder continues.
Detective Superintendent Sue Coombs from Major Crime Investigations said: "We have made two arrests in connection with this cold-blooded shooting. Elle’s family are still having to come to terms with her tragic loss, and our specially trained family liaison officers are supporting them.
"We will not rest until we bring those responsible to justice and I would appeal to anyone who has information to contact us. I would urge people who were in the Lighthouse Inn at the time of the incident, or anyone who has mobile or CCTV footage of what happened to contact us as a matter of urgency as they may have information which is vital to our investigation.
"We are also appealing to motorists and residents in the area, who may have captured anything on Dashcam or CCTV to contact us and every bit of evidence is crucial to the investigation."
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