Police say they have identified the second man who was seen fleeing the gunman who shot dead nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel on Monday.
Merseyside police say they have spoken to the associate of Joseph Nee, the convicted drug dealer who pushed his way into the Korbel home on the night of the killing.
They said there had been “a number of very positive lines of inquiry” that could lead to identifying the gunman, who is still at large after killing Olivia and leaving her mother, Cheryl, and Nee with gunshot wounds.
Speaking directly to the killer in a press conference on Thursday morning, head of investigations, Mark Kameen, said: “We will not rest until we find you. And we will find you.”
He encouraged the community to continue to come forward with any information they may have.
He said: “I cannot stress enough the importance of community engagement in solving each of these crimes.
“I am incredibly grateful for the sheer levels and volume of information that we received so far. This level of engagement, this level of cooperation, and this level of working together simply must continue.”
Olivia’s killing is the third shooting death in Liverpool in less than a week.
Assistant chief constable Chris Green described the attacks as “callous and cold blooded murders that have rocked our communities”.
He added: “Our officers and detectives have been working around the clock in our relentless pursuit to identify the offenders and bring them to justice.”
Olivia’s family issued a statement on Thursday paying tribute to the schoolgirl and thanking the emergency services who tried to save her life.
The statement read: “Liv was a unique chatty, nosey little girl who broke the mould when she was born. She loved life and all it had to offer.
“Liv loved dressing up and was very particular on how she was dressed, like any other little girl she loved doing her makeup and nails, she was nine going on 19.
“Liv was adored by everyone who knew her and would instantly make friends with anyone and everyone. She was often seen going up and down the street on her new bike she had just got for her birthday.
“Although her life was short, her personality certainly wasn’t and she lived it to the most she could, and would blow people away with her wit and kindness.
“We as a family are heartbroken and have lost a huge part of our life.”
The Korbel family echoed the words of senior police officers in Merseyside and urged anyone with information that could help catch Olivia’s killer to speak to the police.
“If anyone knows anything, now is the time to speak up. It is not about being a ‘snitch’ or a ‘grass’ it is about finding out who took our baby away from us. PLEASE DO THE RIGHT THING.
“We as a family are eternally grateful for the help and support we have received from people across the world.
“We are also thankful to Merseyside police for the outstanding work and to the staff at Alder Hey and Aintree hospitals.”
Enough is enough. pic.twitter.com/7fxjPCoxoZ
— Everton (@Everton) August 25, 2022
The manager of Everton football club, Frank Lampard, supported the family’s message and urged people to come forward with information.
In a video posted to the team’s Twitter page, alongside the caption “Enough is enough”, he said: “Following the tragic death of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel, our entire community needs to come together.
“If you know anything or have any information on the incident, please let the authorities know. Keeping quiet is not an option. Enough is enough. Whose side are you on?”
It came as Merseyside police also confirmed two arrests in the separate shooting of Ashley Dale in a neighbouring part of Liverpool on Sunday.
A man was arrested on Wednesday night on suspicion of murder and a woman on suspicion of assisting an offender.
DCI Cath Cummings said: “Our thoughts remain with Ashley Dale’s family and friends following this appalling incident which led to her tragic death.
“Our officers have now made two arrests last night. Inquiries continue to establish the motive behind this attack, and identify all those involved.
“This was a callous attack carried out on a residential street, which has brought tragedy to the heart of a community in Merseyside, and we will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to bring those responsible to justice.
“Although we have made two arrests we still need members of the public to come forward with information too so we can keep our streets safe.”
She said there were potential witnesses who had not come forward who had been seen on CCTV in the area at the time.
