Police have arrested a third person in connection with the shooting of a young woman in a pub on Christmas Eve.
Merseyside Police said officers have detained a 31-year-old man from Tranmere on suspicion of conspiracy to murder, following the death of Elle Edwards, 26, at the Lighthouse pub in Wallasey Village, Wirral. He is in custody where he will be questioned.
On Monday, a 30-year-old man from Tranmere was arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder, while a 19-year-old woman from Rock Ferry was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder.
Merseyside Police have been given additional time to question them. They both remain in custody.
Detectives have said Ms Edwards was not believed to have been the intended target of the attack.
The arrest comes after police 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.
Mr Critchley said detectives were trying to discover whether the weapon could be linked to any other incidents.
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.
Police officers on duty at the Lighthouse Inn in Wallasey Village, Wirral, where the shooting occurred
