The murder weapon in the shooting of an innocent teen was used to blast a house as part of a gang war, it has emerged. Ellis Cox was killed in June last year.
The 19-year-old was shot in the back on his pedal bike as he and pals tried to flee a group of gun-wielding thugs who had approached them on electric bikes.
And it has now emerged that the murder weapon had been used in a previous shooting just weeks before he was gunned down on the streets of Liverpool.
Liverpool Echo reports he was killed close to the Liverpool Loop Line, known locally as the Ralla, near Taskers on the Liver Industrial estate at around 10.50pm on June 23 last year.
While Ellis was with four friends, someone from the group who approached them opened fire and pumped three shots towards the innocent teen and his pals. One of his friends was also hit in the foot by the self-loading pistol.
Speaking to the ECHO, Detective Chief Inspector Steve McGrath said the shooting of Ellis came against the backdrop of a number of incidents of violence in the Walton and Aintree area in the 12 to 18 months before his murder.
The senior investigating officer told the ECHO: “I can’t categorically link them all but I can link one when the firearm was used to target an address in the Walton area.
“It was the same firearm used. There is a backdrop or localised street level drug dealing and I have no doubt that will be one of the reasons this has happened.
“We don’t normally have people running around the streets of Liverpool with a firearm. There is normally a backdrop and that is normally street level dealing and people trying to protect their turf, for want of a better expression.
“I think that has something to do with this in relation to the people being targeted as part of the shooting. But I would like to stress and confirm that this doesn’t involve Ellis. He is definitely an innocent party.”
DCI McGrath confirmed that the previous shooting in question was a targeted shooting at a flat on Willowdale Road in Walton on March 29.
The force was made aware of damage to windows at the front and back of the property consistent with it being peppered with bullets. There were no reports of any injuries.
A neighbour told the ECHO at the time that her partner heard “three loud bangs” before looking out of their back window and seeing “a group of lads jump on electric bikes” – similar to the suspects in the case of Ellis.
DCI McGrath said on the night of Ellis’ murder the suspect’s group came from the direction of Walton Hall Avenue before travelling along the cycle path.
He told the ECHO: “Those people have gone out that night with the intention of causing harm to some individuals and we believe they have targeted the group Ellis was with but it wasn’t him they were after.
“I can say categorically that Ellis wasn’t involved in criminality – he is an innocent victim in this…It’s always difficult to be precise but the evidence so far shows it was a chance meeting.
“People were out and about looking for individuals and there has been a coming together in that location. I don’t think anyone has been waiting to commit an ambush.”
Speaking about the investigation, DCI McGrath said: “This area where it happened is very dark down by the loop line. It’s not well overlooked and I appreciate it will be particularly dark.
“The industrial area is lit up but the cycle track will be in darkness. There are investigative difficulties in that but we have done everything we can in and around that area.”
He continued: “Over the past six months we have had a variety of information and have acted on that. There are a number of people under investigation and a number have been arrested.
“I anticipate more arrests will take place in relation to this. When people don’t come forward everyone leaves themselves open to a prosecution in relation to this matter.
“I directly appeal to anyone close to those individuals, whether it be before or after the offence, to come forward while they have the opportunity to do so. This will enable them to give a version of events that won’t be tainted by the investigation.
“Obviously when we deal with an investigation it’s complicated and we look at everybody. There are a number of people who were there at the time that we have identified who have links to criminality.
“A number of these people have been subject to other criminal investigations. My focus is solving the murder but as part of that any other criminality that comes into focus will be dealt with.”
Don’t miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond. Sign up to our daily newsletter.