By Lucy Caulkett-
A man who was targeted by a gunman in a shooting that left Olivia Pratt-Korbel dead was a former drug dealer.
The nine-year-old was shot after a gunman followed his target into a home he ran into in an attempt to escape. The gunman followed put his hand through a gap in the door, before shooting blind around the corner.
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Olivia was shot in the chest and fatally injured where she stood at the bottom of the stairs, while her mother Cheryl was shot in the arm.
The BBC revealed that the man had previously been convicted of two counts of theft of a motor vehicle, dangerous driving, driving without insurance and driving while disqualified. He was also jailed for three years and nine months in 2018.
Merseyside Police said the man was on probation but is now detained in hospital, and will be recalled to prison to serve the remainder of his licence.
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The intended victim of the shooting has been named as 35-year-old Joseph Nee.
Nee, who was also shot, was a convicted drug dealer and jailed for three years and nine months in 2018 for burglary.
Cops have confirmed that Nee would be recalled to prison for allegedly breaching the terms of his licence conditions with “poor behaviour”.
Police said the man, who was in a stable condition, had been detained in hospital and would be “further questioned” in connection with Olivia’s death.
The force also said officers had been given the same name by two different sources in the hunt for the gunman.
Det Ch Supt Mark Kameen said the force was “absolutely dedicated” to ensuring there were sufficient resources to investigate Olivia’s death, as well as the recent shootings of 28-year-old Ashley Dale in Old Swan and 22-year-old Sam Rimmer in Dingle.
He said each case was “receiving first-class treatment and will continue to do so” and that police raids carried out across Liverpool earlier were in response to the deaths and organised crime.
“In effect, Merseyside Police [is] baring its teeth,” he said.
“We’re proactive, we’re hard-edged and we’ll take the fight to the criminal,” he added.
In a tweet, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the shooting was “horrific” and “senseless” and that his thoughts were with Olivia’s family and “the people of Liverpool”.
He added that Merseyside Police would get “whatever they need to catch those responsible and secure justice for Olivia”.
Mr Kameen said inquiries were continuing “into the shocking murder of Olivia” and the force was “supporting her family as they try to come to terms with this tragedy”.
“I would like to echo the words of our chief constable yesterday [and] appeal to the community to keep helping this family in every way possible,” he said.
He added that this was “not the time for anyone who knows who was responsible to stay silent”.
“It is a time for us all to make Merseyside a place where the use of guns on our streets is totally unacceptable and those who use them are held to account.
Speaking while on a walk around the area with Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell and Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram, Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said people were “angry this is happening in their communities, where some have lived for many years”.
“They feel frightened about what’s happening, but the feedback I have received is that they feel grateful for the additional support and resources we are providing, including a high visibility police presence,” she said.
Ms Spurrell said she was “really pleased” to hear information about who was responsible for Olivia’s murder had been shared with police.
Today, two other men and a teenager were arrested on suspicion of a separate murder in Liverpool, following the fatal shooting of Sam Rimmer in Dingle last week.
Sam, 22, from Bootle, was on Lavrock Bank with a group of friends last Tuesday when men on two motorbikes, believed to be electric bikes, drove into the cul-de-sac and opened fire.
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