Police hunting the Christmas Eve killer of beautician Elle Edwards on Merseyside have warned the families of organised crime gang members: “You have blood on your hands too if you’re a bystander or if you want to live off the profits”.
Deputy Chief Constable Ian Critchley appealed for information on the gun used to shoot the 26-year-old at the Lighthouse Inn in Wallasey Village, Wirral.
Ms Edwards is not believed to have been the gunman’s intended target but was shot in the head shortly before midnight as she celebrated Christmas with friends in the pub.
A friend who described the scene said: “We were so happy. It happened so fast. I can’t get it out of my head. I wish we could have done more, but there was nothing else we could have done.”
Mr Critchley said detectives were trying to discover whether the gun could be linked to any other incidents.
Asked whether he could directly associate Ms Edwards’ killing with a feud between gangs in Wirral, he said: “We have seen over a number of months some level of escalation here.
“There has been real relentless activity in relation to the arrest of a number of people who are now behind bars or remanded in custody, significant seizures of drugs and weapons.”
On Tuesday, a man and a woman were arrested in connection with the “cold-blooded murder” of Ms Edwards.
In a message to the families of those involved in organised crime, Mr Critchley said: “You have blood on your hands too if you’re a bystander or if you want to live off the profits being gained.”
Describing the Christmas Eve shooting as “the most appalling and callous murder”, Mr Critchley pledged officers would not rest until they “bring the offenders to justice”.
“To be murdered in the most horrific and brutal way by the most cowardly of actions is quite incomprehensible for us all and our thoughts and deepest sympathy are with Elle’s family, who will now suffer this loss for the rest of their lives,” he said.
“We’re working closely with them at this most difficult and distressing time for them and I cannot comprehend what they are going through at this moment in time.
“Our staff at Merseyside Police are working relentlessly to find out who is responsible for this appalling act.
Speaking outside the Lighthouse Inn, he added: “We will not rest until we bring the offenders to justice – and by that I mean the person who pulled the trigger of the gun in the most indiscriminate way in this public house on Christmas Eve, anybody who was responsible for arranging, facilitating or harbouring this individual and anybody who continues to withhold information on who has done this or indeed where the weapon is that has led to this tragic fatality.”
“We will also continue to target anybody involved in organised criminality in the Wirral area.
“This is a fantastic community in Wallasey, the public quite understandably are appalled.
“We understand people are scared as a result of what has happened but have been so supportive to my staff, been helping us, we’ve had some tremendous intelligence and community support to help us with our investigation.”
He added: “The small few cowards who seek to prey on the vulnerability of others for their own greed, we don’t tolerate that.
“Over the last few years we’ve seen the lowest number of discharges in Merseyside but one discharge is one too many, and clearly this is not the first time in Merseyside we’ve seen fatalities, particularly those caught up who were in the right place at the right time, the offenders were not.
Police stand watch at the pub, where flowers were laid after the killing
