The family of Olivia Pratt-Korbel have told her killer that the girl’s photo will “haunt you for the rest of your days”.
Her uncle Peter Korbel shared a smiling picture of the 9-year-old on Facebook, writing that the family would “remember this picture of my beautiful niece with happiness and pride ... this tiny cheeky little girl with the Korbel attitude thrown in and then some.”
He went on: “But to the scum that’s done this ... this picture is going to haunt you for the rest of your days.”
Police are hunting the gunman who shot the 9-year-old as he fired “indiscriminately” at a convicted drug dealer who fled into Olivia’s family home in Liverpool on Monday night.
Olivia’s cousin vowed her family “will get justice” for the young girl, who family members described as a “sassy queen” whose death “feels like a nightmare”.
Rebecca Louise wrote in a Facebook tribute: “I don’t think I or the family will ever find the words to describe the heartache we have all felt the past 24 hours.
“We haven’t just lost ‘Our Liv’, we’ve lost a daughter, a sister, a niece, a cousin and a granddaughter. Our little Liv who was full of life, full of sass and most definitely knew what she wanted in life. You had so much potential and a full life to lead beautiful.”
She added: “We WILL find who did this and we WILL get justice for you baby girl ... We all as a family know we’re in everyone’s thoughts and we know we have not only the hearts of the city but the hearts of a nation behind us all. Let’s put this into action and get these weapons off our streets.”
Among the flowers and Teddy bears left outside the family home was a noted signed by Aunty Kim and Uncle Tim.
“RIP baby girl,” it read. “I can’t believe what has happened, feels like a nightmare. We will miss you so much our sassy queen. Love aunty Kim and uncle Tim.”
Another message reads: “Our Liv, our brown-eyed sassy pants. I will never find the words to describe the heartache we have all felt. I’ll miss your outgoing, sassy little self and all the joy, laughs, smiles, love you brought to our lives. Love you forever and always.”
Police are still searching for Olivia’s killer and have asked anyone with information to come forward.
Joseph Nee, 35, a released prisoner believed to have been the intended target of the shooting, was shot during the attack but survived his injuries and was arrested in hospital on Wednesday for breaching his licence conditions.
Police have are also still searching for second man believed to have been targeted by the gunman.
Mark Kameen, detective chief superintendent of Merseyside Police, urged the community “to keep helping [Olivia’s] family in every way possible” and said police were supporting the girl’s relatives “as they try to come to terms with this tragedy”.
