People heard two bangs and then saw police officers combing through a house's front garden after thugs "recklessly" opened fire on a quiet street.
Merseyside Police was called to Carlingford Close, Toxteth, at around 9.50pm last night, Thursday, February 23 following reports of gunshots being fired in the street. Investigators believe the gunshots had been fired outside a house after a group of men chased another group in the area.
No injuries have been reported to the police at this time. The firearms incident was the second this week after shots were fired on Tuesday afternoon near a children's nursery on Delamore Street, Kirkdale. Like in Toxteth, no injuries were recorded but police slammed the reckless and violent behaviour.
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A large cordon remained in place on Carlingford Close, which backs onto an area of grassland that runs along Upper Parliament Street. Further cordons extended onto nearby Selborne Street and Granby Street, while a considerable police presence turned away pedestrians and vehicles from the area.
Two schools, Kingsley Community School and Princes Primary School, were in close vicinity to where the shooting happened. Parents with young children who lived inside the cordon had to sign in and out with an officer. Several vehicles were boxed in by the police tape.
Several people who live on the street told the ECHO they were unaware of any incident until a huge police presence arrived on their street. One man said he had gone to sleep early last night but had woken to see police setting up tape outside his house. He added officers asked if he heard shouting outside his house shortly before 10pm.
But one woman who lives near to the incident told the ECHO she heard "two loud bangs that sounded exactly like fireworks". The woman, who did not want to be named, said: "I looked outside the front of the house and saw a load of police with flashlights looking through the front of a house. We came outside this morning and my grandson couldn't get his car out."
Her neighbour, a man who has lived on the street for 45 years, added: "I've never seen any trouble around this area since the riots. I woke up this morning and saw the police tape. I haven't been able to go to work. It's scary when a big incident like this happens on your own street."
A police forensic and search team arrived on the Toxteth streets shortly before 10am and started combing the area for shell casings and other evidence. The fingertip search, which started on Selborne Street, included officers using ladders to look into back gardens.
A metal detector was also used at one point to search the front garden of a house near where the gun was fired. A forensic officer inspected a marker that had been put down in the middle of the street following the fingertip search.
A Merseyside Police spokesperson confirmed an investigation was underway. Officers will continue house-to-house and CCTV enquiries in the local area.
Detective Inspector John Mullen said: "This was a reckless attack outside a home where a number of people were inside. Such incredibly dangerous attempts to intimidate and harm people will not be tolerated in our community.
"Our investigation is still in the very early stages and enquiries are ongoing in the area. I would appeal to anyone who was on Carlingford Close at the time and saw anything, or who may have doorbell, CCTV or other video footage, to contact police as soon as possible."
Anyone who has information is asked to DM @MerPolCC or contact @CrimestoppersUK on 0800 555 111 quoting reference 23000159496.
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