A young beautician shot dead outside a pub on Christmas Eve is thought to have been caught in the crossfire between warring drugs gangs.
Elle Edwards was killed in a hail of bullets as she enjoyed an evening out with friends in the outdoor seating area of the Lighthouse pub in Wallasey.
She was hit in the head and died in hospital just hours before Christmas Day.
Police have arrested a man, 30, for murder and a 19-year-old woman for conspiracy to murder. It is thought the attacker had been tipped off that a man he had a fight with a few days earlier was at the Merseyside pub.
Witnesses said the gunman arrived at the pub and opened fire ten minutes before midnight – before fleeing in a black Mercedes.
Last night Merseyside’s police chief pledged that her force will be ‘relentless’ in bringing those responsible for the murder of Ms Edwards to justice.
Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said those behind the shooting on Christmas Eve are ‘cowards’ for resorting to such violence and said they ‘deserve to see every Christmas from behind bars’.
‘Elle was doing what any member of the community should be able to do on Christmas Eve – simply enjoying herself with friends and her sister and celebrating the festivities,’ she said.
Partygoers desperately tried to perform CPR on the 26-year-old beautician to try and save her life but Ms Edwards died at the scene.
Chief Constable Kennedy said: ‘As a mum of two girls, who are a similar age to Elle, I can’t begin to comprehend what they are going through right now, but I do know that they will carry the heavy loss of Elle for the rest of their lives and there will always be a major part of their lives missing.’
‘On Christmas Day morning I went out to Wallasey Village to speak to officers and members of the public and I witnessed first-hand the devastating impact this has had on people in Wallasey Village.
‘The use of firearms, violence and intimidation has no place in our communities, and sadly we often see firearms being used to resolve petty and pathetic issues.
‘These people are cowards, who think the only way to resolve an argument is through violence, they don’t have the strength or resolve to work things out and stop things from reaching such an ugly and devastating conclusion.’
Chief Constable Kennedy also reaffirmed that anyone with any information about those responsible for the shooting should come forward to police.
She pleaded that they ‘stop and think of the heartache and pain that has been caused’ and if they know who did this to ‘do the right thing and let us know’.
Friends of Ms Edwards have since told of the horrors of the shooting at the packed pub on Christmas Eve, describing how she had been singing and dancing before hearing bangs ‘like fireworks’ before they saw her lying on the floor.
