A man shot twice in the leg by a criminal gang was himself pursued by police in the moments after he was shot, according to witnesses.
A gang forced their way into a terraced home in Kilburn Street, Litherland, at around 10.25pm last night, finding the 29-year-old man inside and shooting at him repeatedly.
The gang escaped in a dark-coloured car in the direction of Hornby Boulevard.
But the bleeding victim, then staggered to a nearby blue Volvo S60 car and tried to get away as well.
Witnesses said the man was followed through the streets of Litherland, close to its border with Bootle, and chased by a number of police patrol vehicles.
He even attempted to drive down a pathway between Cornwall Road and Brookhill Road, an onlooker said.
The bollards on the path halted his journey and he was detained.
The victim was taken away in an ambulance, escorted by police.
The pathway was cordoned off by police tape on Sunday evening, and the Volvo was removed earlier today.
The pathway has since been reopened.
The ECHO has since learned a woman in her 20s, and her baby son, aged around 12 months, who live at the address were at home at the time, but were unharmed
The Kilburn Street front door was smashed completely off its hinges and this morning it could be seen, lying in the hallway.
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.
Det Insp 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 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.
