It was reported that a male wearing a balaclava and riding a Sur-ron electric bike had fired twice at a black Hackney cab
Police on York Terrace in Everton(Image: Liverpool ECHO)
A man has been arrested following a shooting that sent a primary school into lockdown. Our Lady Immaculate Primary School on Northumberland Terrace was ordered by police to “keep all children inside” following reports a man in a balaclava had fired at a taxi on nearby York Terrace, Everton.
A Merseyside Police spokesman said: “At around 11.15am (today, July 8), it was reported that a male wearing a balaclava and riding a Sur-ron electric bike had fired twice at a black Hackney cab on York Terrace.
“The taxi drove away in the direction of Netherfield Road North. The male on the bike is believed to have ridden off in the direction of Everton Valley.
“At this stage we have still not received any reports of anyone being injured.”
Following investigations, a 32-year-old man from Liverpool was arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm. He remains in custody, police said.
A cordon remains in place at the scene and patrols have been increased in the area to provide reassurance to the community and continue inquiries.
Detective Inspector John Mullen, from Merseyside Police’s Firearms Investigation Team, said: “Our investigation is progressing and as part of initial inquiries we have arrested a man in connection with the incident and he will now be questioned.
“Thankfully, we have still not received any reports of anyone being injured, but our inquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances of what happened.
“I recognise that this has caused a lot of concern for the community, particularly because it happened within the vicinity of a primary school.
“We will have increased patrols in the area to reassure residents, parents, children and staff who have been affected by this incident and I want to reassure them that we are taking this extremely seriously.
“Officers also remain in the area to carry out house-to-house, CCTV and witness enquiries as we continue to build a picture of exactly what happened.
“This incident clearly highlights how the people who choose to carry and use firearms and those involved in serious organised crime simply don’t care about our communities.
“We are relentless in our pursuit of people involved in serious organised crime, but we rely on your information to help our investigations. If you have any information about this incident, please get in touch as a matter of urgency because it could be vital.”
As a result of the incident, Our Lady Immaculate Primary School informed parents: “Due to a police incident outside of school, we have been advised by police to keep all children indoors and there is currently no access to school. All children are safe and well. We will keep you informed. Thank you for your co-operation.”
Staff at the school confirmed to the ECHO that nobody was allowed to leave or enter the premises, but the children were all safe and the building was secure.
Anyone with information should contact Merseyside Police social media desk via X @MerPolCC or on Facebook ‘Merseyside Police Contact Centre’.
You can also report information via the website: https://www.merseyside.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/ or call 101 quoting reference number 25000560514.
Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, or via their website here: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/forms/give-information-anonymously. In an emergency always call 999.