Merseyside Police chief constable Serena Kennedy has vowed that the force will be “relentless” in the hunt to bring the killer of Elle Edwards to justice.
The 26-year-old beautician was shot in the head at the Lighthouse in Wallasey Village as she celebrated Christmas with friends, dying later in hospital. Merseyside Police have said she is not believed to have been the target of the attack.
A 30-year-old man from Tranmere has been arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder, while a 19-year-old woman from Rock Ferry has been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder. The pair have been taken into custody and are being questioned by detectives, the force added.
In a statement released on Tuesday evening, Ms Kennedy said the force had been working around the clock on the murder investigation and to tackle serious organised crime.
“Detectives are continuing their investigations and they will be relentless in their work to establish what led up to the incident on Christmas Eve and who was responsible for this sickening and heart-breaking incident, which has ruined so many lives and culminated in the loss of a beautiful young woman,” she said.
Ms Kennedy branded Ms Edwards’ killers “cowards”, and said that they deserved to spend every Christmas behind bars.
“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,” she said.
“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.
“Anyone involved in arranging this shooting, pulling the trigger and supplying the gun deserves to see every Christmas from behind bars.
“We will be relentless in our commitment to find justice for Elle and her family. I urge anyone who has any information about those responsible for this horrific shooting at a crowded local public house to stop and think of the heartache and pain that has been caused, and if you know who did this, do the right thing and let us know.”
The force said that they have been working “round the clock” to disrupt serious organised crime on the Wirral.
Officers arrested four men overnight on suspicion of possession of a bladed article, a public order offence, and drug offences, while 10 stop searches were also conducted as part of ongoing patrols in Wallasey and the surrounding areas, the force added.
Tributes have been paid to Ms Edwards, who was remembered as a “special daughter” and someone who brought “laughs and happiness” into people’s lives.
People have been urged to “do the right thing and speak up” if they have information, with police and local councillors warning that people should not “stay quiet” or “sit in silence” if they have useful knowledge about the murder.
Flowers and other tributes have been laid at the scene of the shooting, which left one man in a critical condition and saw three others suffer non life-threatening injuries.
Ms Edwards is understood to have worked at a local beauty salon – Nova Studio – which, in a tribute posted on Instagram, thanked her for “all of the laughs and happiness you brought into our lives, rest in paradise, angel”.
The force has appealed to anyone who was in the pub at the time or has mobile or CCTV footage of what happened to “contact us as a matter of urgency as they may have information which is vital to our investigation”.
They have also urged motorists and residents in the area with dashcam or CCTV to contact police, adding that “every bit of evidence is crucial to the investigation”.
