Concerned neighbours today revealed how a young mum and her baby son live at a house in which a man was shot twice in the leg.
Police rushed to the terraced property in Kilburn Street in Litherland, at around 10.25pm last night, following reports of gunshots.
Two bangs were heard in the street, before four men were seen fleeing in a dark-coloured car in the direction of Hornby Boulevard.
Moments later, a 29-year-old man who was driving a blue Volvo S60 at speed was s topped by police patrols .
He was found to have two gunshot wounds to his right leg which needed immediate medical attention.
At the scene today neighbours told the ECHO how a woman, in her 20s, and her baby son, thought to be around 12 months old, were living at the house.
It is believed the man shot was visiting the address, but knew the woman.
A concerned neighbour told the ECHO how his own home was shot at by gun thugs around three years ago, when bullets hit his window and front door.
On that occasion, detectives informed him his house had been fired at in a case of mistaken identity.
And around a year ago, police raided two homes, one of which is understood to be the address involved in last night's shooting and another property nextdoor, in a suspected drugs bust.
This morning, one police officer was guarding the front door of the Kilburn Street home and the six foot long path was sealed off as forensic officers arrived to comb the area for clues.
The white front door, which was smashed open, remained lying on its side in the hallway.
Today, one shocked female resident said she and her partner had moved up to Litherland from Liverpool, six months ago, but a growing number of police incidents had persuaded them to move away at the end of this summer.
House-to-house enquiries are being carried out in the area and officers will be looking to establish if there is CCTV footage which could help them identify the offenders.
Detective Inspector Gary Stratton said: “The investigation into this incident is in its early stages and motive for the attack is currently unknown, but detectives are treating it as a targeted attack.
“We are looking to establish the full circumstances that led to this incident to get a clearer picture of why it happened, and who is responsible.
“I appeal to anyone who may have been in the area at the time of the incident, or who saw anyone acting suspiciously shortly before or after the attack to come forward.
“If you were driving nearby and have a dashcam camera please check to see if you have picked anything up on the camera as it may be helpful to our inquiries and could assist us in identifying the offenders.”
Det Insp Stratton added: “The Bootle community will have seen a lot of police activity in their area in the last few weeks, both as a response to incidents, and with warrants being carried out.
“The area has seen serious incidents of violence recently, including gun crime, arson and violence. Backed by Operation Target, we have made significant strides disrupting criminals, arresting and charging offenders suspected of being involved in drug dealing and seizing weapons and ammunition.
“We will continue to work alongside our partners to act on all the information you provide, as we step up our efforts to remove guns from our communities and put the people who use them behind bars.”
Anyone who witnessed the incident, or who has any information which could help detectives with their inquiries, is asked to contact @MerPolCC, 101 quoting reference 19100430392 or @CrimestoppersUK anonymously on 0800 555 111.
