A spate of gun attacks across Huyton is not believed to be the result of an ongoing gangland feud.
Six shootings have been reported in the area in the past month.
The outburst of violence has been particularly shocking as it has fallen against the backdrop of a record drop in shootings on Merseyside.
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It has seen men left scarred and wounded, streets cordoned off and two homes with children inside being struck by gunshots.
Detectives do not believe the attacks form part of a dispute or turf war between gangs vying for influence in the area.
Instead, the shootings are largely being seen as isolated incidents by officers who have arrested four people and seized two guns in connection with enquiries sparked by the attacks.
A gun was also recovered in Stockbridge Village this week as part of efforts to stifle the activity of the region's gun thugs.
The recent run of shootings started on May 17, the day the easing of lockdown restrictions allowed pubs to reopen inside.
That night, shots were fired in front of terrified onlookers in the Old Bank Pub on Princess Drive.
A man was later found with gunshot wounds to his chest and was taken to hospital for treatment.
A second man then turned up at hospital with a gunshot wound to his groin following the shooting.
Both men were arrested on suspicion of shooting each other.
Alan Roberts, of Heyes Street, Everton, has since been charged with attempted murder and possession of a firearm with intent to injure.
James Freeman, 23 and of Pennard Avenue, Huyton, has been charged with attempted murder.
The following day, a shot was fired across the car park of Knowsley Heights.
A group of six youths wearing dark clothing were reported to have fled the scene in the direction of Liverpool Road and police patrols chased a boy on a black mountain bike into flats on Reeds Road.
A containment was put in place around the property but searches did not locate a suspect. In the aftermath, however, police seized a handgun and a rifle.
Neither of those attacks is believed to be connected, nor are they thought to have been linked to shots fired at a home on Shelley Close on the night of May 24. That is being treated as an isolated attack.
On June 9 came the first of two shootings in which homes with children inside were hit by gunfire.
A flurry of shots were fired at a family property on Huyton House Road, with bullets smashing through the front door and windows.
The children inside were sleeping at the time of the attack.
Then, last Sunday, two cars and a home - all linked to innocent members of the public - were damaged when gunmen thought to have been riding an electric bike opened fire on Reeds Road.
CCTV of the suspects has since been released with police stressing the reckless shooting could have cost lives, including those of the children at the home hit by stray gunfire.
Detectives believe the intended target was a man on a push bike.
Earlier on Sunday a home on Woolfall Crescent was shot at. The two incidents are not thought to have been linked.
A 29-year-old man from Roby has since been arrested on suspicion of possession of a Section 1 Firearm, burglary and possession of a Class B drug in relation to the Woolfall Crescent attack, and a 39-year-old woman from Huyton was arrested on suspicion of possession of a Section 1 firearm in connection with the investigation into the Reeds Road incident.
Merseyside Police has flooded the area since Sunday's double shooting - after which special stop and search powers were implemented across Huyton.
On Wednesday a loaded pistol was found during a search in an overgrown wooded area behind Waterpark Drive in Stockbridge Village.
Then, on Thursday, the force raided homes on Fincham Road and Salerno Drive, discovering cash and cannabis.
A roadside operation on Liverpool Road led to a vehicle being intercepted by police on Hillside Road and the seizure of a lock knife and can of CS incapacitant spray.
The driver was arrested on suspicion of possession of a Section 5 firearm and possession of a bladed article.
An open land search on Seth Powell Way, at its junction with Stockbridge Lane, saw a meat cleaver recovered.
Last year saw the fewest shootings on Merseyside this century and, despite the recent attacks in Huyton, the numbers in 2021 are down on the same stage of 2020.
While Huyton has seen a number of high-profile criminals brought down through the hack of the EncroChat communications platform beloved by gangsters, those operations have largely targeted people who operate above the grassroots scene.
Their removal from the streets is not, therefore, being seen as the catalyst for the recent spate of shootings.
Speaking on Friday, Inspector Dave Harrison said he hoped the public could see Merseyside Police " will do everything in our power to proactively protect our Huyton communities".
He continued: “Recently, we have experienced a number of shootings which have left the public feeling scared for their safety. This is unacceptable. Our communities deserve to feel protected and able to wander the streets knowing that there isn’t someone carrying a gun nearby.
"The people using guns are really stupid – these are lethal weapons that can land you in prison for a long long time.
"Storing them is also so dangerous. It was only this week that we recovered a loaded gun hidden near Waterpark Drive – imagine if your child had found that. It dreads me to think what could have happened... Report anyone you know involved in crime so we can take more weapons off our streets and protect all those growing up and living in Huyton – help us ensure your children’s futures are not plagued by criminals."
*Anyone with information over gun crime can contact Merseyside Police by calling 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111
