Hundreds of balloons were released into the sky in Sefton Park today in memory of Ashley Dale.
Heartbroken loved ones and friends gathered on the grass opposite St Hilda's High School on Saturday afternoon to pay tribute to 28-year-old Ashley. The Knowsley Council worker was shot dead in her own home in Old Swan on Sunday, August 21.
Merseyside police believe the attack on the address, on Leinster Road, was targeted but the 28-year-old was not the intended victim. A man has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of the 28-year-old and a woman has been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.
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Songs including Dancing in the Sky by Dani and Lizzy Nelson were played in Sefton Park on Saturday as pink and silver balloons spelling out Ashley's name were released.
Ashley was described as a "hard working young woman" by her family in a moving statement, issued via Merseyside Police. The family said: "Ashley, our girl – our shining light. Our hearts are broken into a million pieces. Ashley was a hard working young woman, who had her entire life ahead of her.
"She had just been promoted at her job with Knowsley Council. She had a degree and so many plans for her bright future that had only just begun. Her laugh, smile and energy was infectious in any room.
"We can’t come to terms with how this would happen to a defenceless woman in her own home. None of this makes sense and our lives will never be the same again. A senseless crime that has torn a family apart. Justice needs to be brought."
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