Beautician, 26, killed in pub shooting is pictured as tributes pour in
‘Rest in paradise angel’: Beautician, 26, killed in pub shooting is pictured as tributes pour in from her heartbroken friends
- Elle Edwards was shot in a pub in Wallasey, near Liverpool, on Christmas Eve
- Friends have paid tribute to the 26-year-old beautician, who died at the scene
- Four men were also injured, including one who remains in a critical condition
- Detectives are searching for gunman who fled pub in dark-coloured Mercedes
Tributes have been paid to an innocent 26-year-old woman who was tragically killed in a horrifying pub shooting on Christmas Eve.
Elle Edwards was celebrating Christmas in the Lighthouse Inn, in Wallasey, a village near Liverpool, with her friends when she sustained fatal gunshot wounds.
Friends have paid tribute to the beautician as a ‘crazy diamond’ and the ‘most beautiful angel’ as a major police investigation takes place to find her killer.
Four men who were also in the packed pub were shot in the attack, including a 28-year-old who remains in a critical condition in hospital.
Elle Edwards, pictured here, was celebrating Christmas Eve with friends when she was shot in a packed pub
Heartbroken friends have paid tribute to Ms Edwards (pictured) describing her as ‘the most beautiful angel’
The gunman is understood to have fled the scene in a dark vehicle, believed to be a Mercedes Benz, while onlookers desperately tried to save Ms Edwards’ life.
Local studio, Nova Beauty, where Ms Edwards worked, said staff were ‘heartbroken’ on hearing the news.
It wrote: ‘Absolutely lost for words … Heaven gained the most beautiful angel. We are all heartbroken, thinking of all of your family right now Elle, thank you for all of the laughs and happiness you brought into our lives, rest in paradise angel, love from your team at Nova.’
Her friend Tyreece Hon described her a ‘big sister’ in a moving tribute.
He wrote: ‘So last night this angel gained her wings and headed to the stars. Ellie you was always a big sister to me in my eyes and I can’t believe you’ve been taken from us so soon. My heart goes out to your family who took me in as a son love you loads. Shine bright you crazy diamond. Till we shall meet again.’
And friend Britt Hughes said ‘Christmas will never be the same again’ after her tragic passing and that she ‘made me so happy inside when she walked in the room’.
She added that Ms Edwards would leave her in ‘fits of laughter’ and she would be ‘so missed my beautiful bestie’.
She also made a desperate plea, saying: ‘When will people stop the shooting?’
Forensics officers from Merseyside Police investigate the scene of the shooting at the Lighthouse Inn on Christmas Day
Flowers and tributes are left outside the Lighthouse Inn in Wallasey after the fatal shooting on Christmas Eve
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Footage has now emerged of a woman asking ‘is that a gun?’ as she sat parked in the pub’s car park
The Liverpool Echo reports that people tried to give Ms Edwards CPR while emergency services rushed to the scene.
Posting on social media, one parent said their daughter in the pub ‘was there giving CPR with another girl until help arrived’.
Others described the young woman as a ‘hero’ and a ‘brave, selfless young lady’ for her efforts on the night.
Another parent said: ‘My daughter was there, she and her friends got home safe but is very distressed. She was stood right by the girl who was killed. So scary.’
Footage had earlier emerged of a woman asking ‘is that a gun?’ while she sat in the pub’s car park as the horrific incident took place.
Speaking yesterday, Detective Superintendent Sue Coombs said police believe the woman was not the intended target.
She added that the gunman fired shots through the front of the pub before fleeing.
Meanwhile, Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims said the woman’s family are heartbroken following the ‘callous’ shooting.
She said: ‘As you can imagine, her devastated family are inconsolable and heartbroken.
‘The woman was enjoying a night out with family and friends when the callous and cold-blooded shooting took place at the pub.
‘This is not the time for anyone who knows who is responsible for this shooting to stay quiet.
‘The fact that this has happened on Christmas Eve makes the tragedy even more unpalatable and shows those responsible have no regard for members of the public who just want to be able to live their lives without fear.
Heartbroken locals pay their respects to Ms Edwards on Boxing Day after the shooting on Christmas Eve
Forensics officers from Merseyside Police walk outside the Lighthouse Inn on Boxing Day
‘She should have had the rest of her life to look forward to, instead her family can now only think of what might have been. These people need to be caught.’
Officers have launched a manhunt for the shooter, who fled in a dark-coloured Mercedes, while community members express shock that another incident of gun violence has struck in a village where ‘there’s never been any trouble or problems.’
The shooting happened around 11.50pm last night at a ‘busy venue full of young people’.
‘Tragically the victim, a 26-year-old woman had suffered a serious gunshot injury to her head,’ DI Coombs revealed.
‘She was taken to Arrowe Park hospital but sadly passed away shortly afterwards.
‘Her family have been informed and on today, which should be a day with friends celebrating, they are coming to terms with this tragic loss.
‘She was out enjoying Christmas with her sister and friends at what should have been a peaceful time.
‘What her family are now going through is incomprehensible.’
The incident took place at the Lighthouse Inn, a pub in the village of Wallasey on the Wirral peninsula
Four men were left injured in the attack, including a 28-year-old who is fighting for his life in critical condition. Pictured: A police officer places flowers outside the Lighthouse Inn in Wallasey Village this afternoon
The gunman fired shots in Lighthouse Inn in Wallasey, near Liverpool, around 11.50pm on Christmas Eve, Merseyside Police confirmed
Investigators currently remain on scene, carrying out extensive enquiries to ‘understand exactly what has taken place and take immediate action’
Detective Superintendent Sue Coombs (left) said during a press conference on December 25: ‘It’s very early stages of the investigation but we do not believe that the victim in this case has been targeted’
She added: ‘It’s very early stages of the investigation but we do not believe that the victim in this case has been targeted.’
Ms Coombs said they were still trying to establish a motive for the ‘callous shooting’ and appealed for anyone with information to come forward.
She said: ‘We believe that the gunman fired shots towards the front entrance of the pub, we know that minutes later, a dark-coloured vehicle, possibly an A class Mercedes, was seen to leave the pub car park, so we are particularly keen to speak to that male and anybody who knows anything about that vehicle.
‘We won’t rest until we find the people responsible for this terrible, terrible crime.’
Police also confirmed that four others sustained injuries in the attack, including the 28-year-old who is in a critical condition.
A 22-year-old man was injured in his legs, while a 24-year-old suffered a hand injury and a 33-year-old was injured in the wrist. Police say none of those injuries are life-threatening.
A neighbour who heard the shots ring out in Wallasey last night said she assumed they were celebratory Christmas fireworks.
‘I heard the shots, I thought it was a firework actually because it was nearly midnight,’ Jenny Hough, 77, said of her shock when she heard what had happened at the nearby pub.
‘I just thought it was people celebrating midnight on Christmas Day.’
Another local resident, identified only by his first name Phil, said he was watching television at his home when he heard several ‘loud bangs’ last night.
Local resident Phil said: ‘It’s just really, really shocking. It’s a lovely village, it’s quiet. We frequent the Lighthouse pub often, along with another local pub around the corner, and there’s never been any trouble or problems’
‘Obviously it was gunfire, quite shocking,’ he told the Liverpool Echo.
‘It did seem to be an unusual sound so it didn’t appear to be fireworks to me.’
He said a ‘minute or two’ after the sound, people were seen leaving the pub: ‘Not running away or anything, just people congregating.’
‘We woke up this morning and we’re just really, really shocked,’ he added. ‘It’s just really resonating now especially knowing a young girl has died.
‘It’s just really, really shocking. It’s a lovely village, it’s quiet.
‘We frequent the Lighthouse pub often, along with another local pub around the corner, and there’s never been any trouble or problems.’
On waking to the news of a fatality and multiple injuries, Ms Hough said: ‘I couldn’t believe it, when I looked outside I thought ‘oh crikey’. It’s a complete shock.
‘My sister’s garden had been broken into. We suspect it was people trying to get out of the pub and trying to climb over the wall and into her garden to get out.’
Ms Hough said she had heard the pub had been ‘so crowded’ that evening.
She described tight security in the area on Christmas Day morning, adding: ‘I’ve got people here opening their presents at the moment and they’ve all had to give their names and addresses and everything to the police before they could come in.’
Merseyside Police have appealed for anyone who witnessed the incident to come forward
Evidence markers around a pub advertising board at the Lighthouse Inn in Wallasey Village
Police crime scene tape surrounds the Lighthouse Inn in Wallasey Village this morning after a woman died and multiple people were injured in a shooting on Christmas Eve
A young woman was taken to hospital with an injury consistent with a gunshot wound and later died. Pictured: Crime scene tape and evidence markers at The Lighthouse Inn this morning
Police (pictured at the scene) three other men were also hospitalised with gunshot wounds and a number of others were injured in the incident
Investigators currently remain on scene, carrying out extensive enquiries to ‘understand exactly what has taken place and take immediate action,’ Detective Superintendent David McCaughrean said.
Forensic officers also arrived at around 10am yesterday and were focusing their efforts at the main entrance and inside the Lighthouse pub to begin with.
Televisions were seen still on inside the pub and beer bottles and glasses were discarded as people left the pub in fear.
Police also blocked off the road and people were unable to travel down it and being redirected by officers. A bunch of flowers was also left at the scene.
‘We believe that the gunman left the pub car park in a dark-coloured vehicle – possibly a dark-coloured Mercedes shortly after the shooting and we are keen to hear from anyone who saw this to contact us immediately,’ Det Supt McCaughrean said.
Police say the investigation remains in the ‘very early stages’ and have launched an appeal for anyone who witnessed the incident to come forward.
‘I would ask anyone who was in the Lighthouse in Wallasey Village last night who witnessed the incident or has mobile or CCTV footage of what happened to contact us as a matter of urgency as they may have information which is vital to our investigation,’ the officer added.
‘This investigation is in the very early stages and we understand that this is a truly shocking and devastating incident that has happened just before Christmas Day in a busy venue full of young people.’
The pub, owned by large pub retailer and brewer Greene King, was due to be open yesterday from 4pm to 6pm. Pictured: The interior of The Lighthouse Inn pub in Wallasey Village
The Lighthouse Inn was planning to have a four-course Christmas dinner yesterday, according to the pub’s website. Pictured: A shot of the bar
Reporters at the scene this morning say beer bottles were still on the wall and tables and that the television remained turned on. Pictured: File photo of the inside of The Lighthouse Pub
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The shooting marks the latest in a series of gun violence incidents that have plagued Merseyside this year.
Earlier this month police launched a crackdown on a ‘dangerous’ gang that has been linked to drug dealing and violence in the area, the Liverpool Echo previously reported.
The so-called Woodchurch Organised Crime Group was the target of multiple recent shootings and were described by police as among the ‘top three’ threats to public safety and security in Merseyside.
Police are concerned about the spike of shootings in the area with the most recent incident – before last night’s shooting – involving a young man shot in the legs in a targeted attack on December 3.
A gunman also fired shots at men by the Arrowe Park pub in June and a man was left with ‘life-changing’ injuries following a drive-by shooting in March.
All three of those shootings were linked to the gang, the newspaper reported, however last night’s shooting has not been tied to the group.
‘The Woodchurch has some historical crime issues, but what I would say, in probably the last three or four years, gang-related violence has become a lot more prominent there,’ Wirral community policing Inspector Alan McKeon told the Echo earlier this month.
He noted the area has seen an increase in the use of firearms as part of ‘factional disputes.’
‘When I came into this role probably 16 months ago, it became a priority because if you have these factional disputes ongoing and people using firearms in anger towards each other; you know what we’ve seen in the last 12 months.’
Inspector McKeon also noted how gun violence in the area has taken the life of ‘absolutely innocent people’ who get ‘caught in the crossfire’ of gangs, including nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel.
Police stand guard the scene outside the Lighthouse Inn in Wallasey Village early this morning
Police say the investigation remains in the ‘very early stages’ and have launched an appeal for anyone who witnessed the incident to come forward
An officer stands guard near the Lighthouse Inn after a gunman opened fire in the ‘busy venue full of young people’
The Lighthouse Inn, owned by large pub retailer and brewer Greene King, was due to be open yesterday from 4 to 6pm.
Customers were invited to gather at the eatery for a four-course Christmas dinner featuring traditional holiday favourites such as hand-carved turkey or sirloin steak.
A spokesperson for the pub told MailOnline yesterday’s holiday festivities have been cancelled as staff and the community feel the impacts of the shooting.
‘This is a tragedy beyond any words. All our thoughts are with the friends and family of our customers and in particular our hearts go out to the family of our customer who has lost her life,’ the spokesperson said.
‘We are completely shocked by this and were expecting to host a number of people for Christmas Day meals but sadly this is no longer possible.
‘We are contacting everyone who had a booking with us to offer a full refund as well as offering them a replacement Christmas meal in the New Year free of charge.
The pub added: ‘We have provided the police with CCTV footage and our priority is supporting everyone who has been impacted.’
Meanwhile, police say the deceased woman’s family has been notified and are being supported by specially trained officers.
Det Supt McCaughrean added that Merseyside Police’s ‘thoughts and condolences are with the victim’s family.’
Wallasey MP Dame Angela Eagle described the shooting as ‘heartbreaking.’
‘My thoughts are with the family of the woman who has died and those who are injured. Anyone with any information please tell the police,’ she urged.
Police cordon off the road near The Lighthouse Inn in Wallasey Village this morning as they investigate a shooting that left one dead and several others injured
Evidence markers are placed at the Lighthouse Inn in Wallasey Village this morning
The Lighthouse Inn has provided the police with CCTV footage and a pub spokesperson told MailOnline: ‘Our priority is supporting everyone who has been impacted’
Police officers stand guard at the scene outside the Lighthouse Inn in Wallasey Village
Alison McGovern, Labour MP for Wirral South, gave her condolences to all impacted by the ‘utterly horrendous’ shooting.
She tweeted: ‘I am so sorry for families affected and for all who were there. And grateful for our Merseyside Police officers who deserve all support as they work to support the community.’
Wirral council leader Janette Williamson added that the shooting was ‘nothing less than despicable’.
Holy Apostles & Martyrs’ Parish Church in Wallasey also gave their support for the victims’ family and the community.
The church tweeted that ‘special prayers’ would be said at mass this morning for all the shooting victims.
Jeffrey Hughes, minister of the United Reformed Church in Wallasey Village, said that trying to find words of hope in ‘such a terrible situation’ is challenging.
‘In some ways the Christmas message is for a time such as this. Jesus was the prince of peace and this just shows us that even though we celebrate Christmas, we’re still very far from those ideals as a society,’ Mr Hughes said.
‘How we can speak words of hope into such a terrible situation is going to be difficult.’
He said the Christmas morning service would now not be ‘as much a celebration as it was going to be’.
He added: ‘I guess no words that you can say are going to change what’s happened, or indeed take away the pain and loss of what’s happened.
‘I think it’s simply about being there, about trying to speak words of comfort at this time, just trying to get alongside people to say they’re not alone in this situation.’
Holy Apostles & Martyrs’ Parish Church in Wallasey also issued their support for the victims’ family and the community
Ashville Football Club also took to social media to condemn the ‘senseless act’ of violence that club officials say has ‘sadly been all too common in Merseyside this year’
The area’s MP, Dame Angela Eagle, described the shooting as ‘heartbreaking’
Alison McGovern, Labour MP for Wirral South, issued her condolences to all impacted by the ‘utterly horrendous’ shooting
Ashville Football Club, based in the village, also condemned the ‘senseless act’ of violence that club officials say has ‘sadly been all too common in Merseyside this year.’
‘This incident has sent shockwaves throughout our neighbours and local community and we are saddened and appalled by this incident,’ the club’s statement said.
‘This senseless act of violence was carried out at a packed out, popular local venue, filled with people of all ages and backgrounds on an evening that was supposed to be about community, giving, celebration and happiness.
‘Unfortunately it turned into a night of tragedy, heartbreak, fear and confusion thanks to a few moments of madness of one individual.’
The club added: ‘Guns have no place on our streets and there is NEVER an excuse for using a firearm to inflict pain and suffering on anyone.’
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to direct message @MerPolCC or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 quoting log 1044 of Saturday, December 24.
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