Police Seek Witnesses after Whiston Shooting

Police are appealing for witnesses to a firearms incident in which one man was seriously injured last night (Friday, 10 April).

Reports came in just after 6pm of two cars driving erratically and at high speed while the occupants shot at each other in Copperwood Drive, a residential street off Cumber Lane, Whiston.

Shooting Arrests

A VW Passat thought to have been involved in the shooting was later found at Whiston Hospital. The 20-year-old driver was arrested on suspicion of firearms offences after treatment for superficial injuries, and two other occupants, aged 20 and 21, were also arrested. All three were from Whiston.

A fourth suspect, 17, from Huyton, was later tracked down and arrested.

The fifth passenger, aged 24, suffered serious injuries to his back, shoulder and elbow, and remains in a critical but stable condition at another hospital in the region.

The other car has not been found. Police think there is no connection to a BMW found on fire on Domville, on the same estate, shortly before the shooting.

Parts of Cumber Lane and Copperwood Drive remain cordoned off so that Merseyside Police’s Matrix Seriious Organised Crime Unit can continue their investigations.

Police Presence in Whiston

Patrols have been stepped up and a highly visible police presence will remain in the area this weekend following the incident, which Assistant Chief Constable Ian Pilling described as “a targeted attack involving two factions who … brought violence to the streets of a peaceful community.”

He added that the criminals’ behaviour was “reckless in the extreme, and it is only by luck that no innocent bystanders were hurt.

“The local community has my absolute assurances that significant resources are being used to identify all the individuals involved and bring them to justice.”

Appeal for Witnesses

He continued: “People who witnessed this incident or have heard about it since will understandable be shocked, appalled and worried that it could happen in their own community.

“We will relentlessly pursue criminals who use guns and violence to settle criminal disputes and intimidate or harm other people but we need the public’s help.

“If you have any information at all that can help the police investigation, please call our gun crime hotline on 0800 230 0600 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”

Residents can also speak directly to local police by calling the non-emergency number, 101.