Disputes between rival street thugs are creating shooting hotspots in the city even as the number of firearms discharges remain at 20 year lows.
Successful proactive policing tactics, firearms recoveries and the results of the Encrochat hack rocking the higher tiers of the underworld are believed to have contributed to the encouraging numbers. But for some neighbourhoods, the headline fall in shootings does not seem to tell the full story.
One of the most striking set of incidents occurred over several weeks in the Mill Lane area of Wavertree, between April and June. On April 21 a woman in her 50s was shot in the legs by a man who burst into her home on Deverell Grove, seemingly looking for someone else.
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A week later damage was caused to the window of a house nearby on Birch Grove, while the property was occupied. On June 7, a gunman believed to have been on a bike opened fire at a window on Mill Lane, opposite the children's play area on Picton Playground.
Residents told the ECHO the flats around the scene of that shooting were rife with alleged drug dealing. One woman the ECHO: "It's got to the point where it's normal round here if you hear gunshots or a bike, it doesn't even surprise me to hear gunshots anymore. Recently it has got pretty terrible, it has to be about territory for selling drugs.
"You can see the younger ones selling drugs round here, and there are more senior people living around these blocks that they go to, to restock or whatever. I have seen them passing packages over personally, sometimes they don't think you can see them but I don't think they'd care."
Two men, aged 33 and 27, and a 16-year-old boy were arrested on suspicion of wounding with intent and possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life in connection with the shooting of the woman. An 18-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm in connection with the June 7 shooting.
Another area where a gang dispute appears to have led to a guns being discharged with little thought for the consequences is the Woodchurch estate in Wirral. On March 22, while children were still playing out on Hoole Road, a gunman inside a dark coloured car opened fire on a man walking by the shops, leaving him critically injured.
Bullets were flying again on June 8, when a group of men ran inside the Arrowe Park pub saying they had been shot at while standing outside, although no-one was hit. On June 27, a gang of masked men carrying weapons burst into the same pub seemingly looking for someone, before leaving in a car when they could not find their target.
A 28-year-old man from the nearby Beechwood estate was later arrested on suspicion of attempted murder over the drive-by shooting.
Community Policing Inspector Alan McKeon said about the incidents: “We know that when offenders are in dispute, such as those who deal in illegal drugs, they can resort to violence in an attempt to intimidate others. They care little about the impact this has on those who call Woodchurch home, and we are determined to make sure those people cannot operate here and are brought to justice."
Escalating violence also appears to have culminated in gunfire erupting on the streets of West Derby, close to the boundary with Stockbridge Village. A shocking piece of mobile phone footage, taken on Saturday, July 1, showed a gunman leaning over a man lying on the ground and before letting off a number of shots at almost point-blank range.
The incident, on Croxdale Road West, left the 23-year-old victim with multiple gunshot wounds to his legs and back, although he was not fatally injured. Two West Derby men, aged 35 and 31, have since been arrested on suspicion of firearms and wounding offences
The ECHO understands that flashpoint may be related to a brutal knife attack which left a man with a gaping wound to his face on June 14, outside shops on nearby Finch Lane.
Since the shooting on Croxdale Road West, a gunman opened fire on a house in nearby Max Road, late on July 13. Police found damage consistent with multiple rounds being fired at the property.
It is unclear if this shooting is related to either the knife attack or the shooting of the 23-year-old man.
Worryingly, another set of shootings has erupted in Croxteth, an area which many thought had begun to shed its reputation for gun toting street gangs.
On July 10, a gunman believed to have been on an electric bike shot a man multiple times in the legs on Cubert Road.
Then on July 27 at around 6.37pm, "lads on motorbikes" are believed to have fired shots on Kynance Road, only a few streets away, although no-one was injured and police did not find any signs of damage.
One resident in the street told the ECHO: "“When it happened it was just like a normal evening during the school holidays. So kids were playing out and that kind of thing. Someone definitely could have been really hurt.”
Speaking about efforts to tackle gun crime recently, Detective Inspector John Mullen, of Merseyside's Firearms Investigation Team, said: “We are fully aware of the devastating impact gun crime has on families of victims and the fear that it evokes in our communities.
"Understandably the recent incidents may cause alarm to people, but please be assured that the number of shootings in Merseyside remains at its lowest for 21 years.
The number of shootings has decreased by 66% from 125 incidents in 2012 to 43 last year. We rely on information given to us by the public, either directly or anonymously via Crimestoppers, and this makes a massive difference in identifying suspects, seizing weapons and removing suspects who would bring lethal weapons onto our streets.
"Every single incident is one too many, and I would like to reassure everyone that we are doing everything we can to remove guns from our communities.
"Our officers regularly search open land to remove potentially lethal weapons from our streets and carry out high-visibility patrols to reassure the public and gather information which we can act upon.
“We work closely alongside our partners and in communities affected by gun crime, carrying out high-visibility patrols to gather information and reassure the public of the work ongoing. We are determined and relentless in our pursuit to continue to reduce this number. With the public’s help, Merseyside Police want to continue to drive down the number of firearms discharges."
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