A group of friends "chased off" men on an electric bike before the riders returned with reinforcements and shot dead 22-year-old Sam Rimmer, a coroner's court heard.
Andre Rebello, senior coroner for Liverpool and Wirral, opened inquests into the death of Mr Rimmer, known to some friends as "little-man Sam", alongside inquests into the deaths of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel and 28-year-old Ashley Dale who were also shot dead in separate incidents during one of Liverpool's darkest weeks.
Bootle man Mr Rimmer, registered as a mechanic by trade, died after being struck in the chest by gunfire on Tuesday, August 16, in Lavrock Bank, Dingle, at around 11.40pm. Four men have been arrested on suspicion of his murder, with three later released on bail pending further enquiries.
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Gerard Majella Courthouse heard his medical cause of death was recorded as a gunshot wound to the chest. Mr Rebello said: "On August 16 Sam had been in company with two males who resided at an address in Lavrock Bank. They had encountered two males on an electric bike which arrived in the road.
"Sam and his associates had chased the males from the close, however the males on bikes met up with two other males on electric bikes."
Mr Rebello said the men then returned and fired "numerous" shots at Sam and his associates, with Sam hit "at least once" in the chest, causing him to collapse. He was rushed to the Royal Liverpool Hospital by ambulance, where he was pronounced dead at 1.01am.
Sam's body was released to his family after Mr Rebello said all forensic enquiries, including a post mortem, had been concluded. Mr Rebello told the court: "It goes without saying that this young 22-year-old male appears to have been murdered, and, clearly, someone out there has information that may assist the police, and I would encourage anyone with any knowledge to provide it to their local police station or ring the police, or even ring Crimestoppers.
"It is difficult enough to deal with bereavement from natural causes, but when the death is from such a heinous, unnecessary act a family and bereaved relatives clearly need some progress in the investigation to find at least some degree of closure."
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