‘Police don’t care’ - mistrust in Liverpool community devastated by shooting of nine-year-old girl

A street that is usually filled with children playing is instead filled with police and journalists today.

Walking up Kingsheath Avenue, this morning, the atmosphere was bleak, as the whole community felt the loss of Olivia Pratt-Korbel - an innocent nine-year-old girl shot and killed in her own home.

Multiple police vans, news reporters and police officers gathered around the cordon, as forensic officers swept the crime scene.

Neighbours stood in their front yards with their children, horrified by the tragedy that unfolded last night, many too upset to talk to myself or other reporters.

‘It’s horrendous,’ a local resident told me, and a young boy yelled ‘the police round here don’t do nothing.’

Mistrust of the local police was clear, with local families telling the media that the police ‘don’t care’ about their area.

Walking around the extensive police cordon, covering a large stretch of the street, residents stood talking amongst themselves, with sadness on their faces. Many woke up to the news of Olivia’s death and don’t know how to process what has happened.

Two sisters stood by their front gate and one told me: “I wouldnt have even known what a gunshot sounded like, all I can say is it’s like a firework.

“I seen blue lights last night and didn’t know what had happened. This morning, I looked out and saw police and then later more police and news crews. I didn’t expect it to be the shooting of a child.”

Her sister added: “In your own house. It makes you scared, makes you want to barricade the door. Things like this don’t happen here.

“I just hope it wasn’t the little girl who opened the door. If someone has immediately shot down a 9-year-old I don’t know what I’ll do.”

The pair looked devastated as we discussed the local community and they talked about how good the local children are and how there’s never any issues on the street, or any kind of gang culture.

Throughout the morning, more families came outside to take in what was going on and children played on their bikes. Seeing children playing together and knowing they had probably played with the young girl was hard to deal with.

Leaving the scene, it started to rain heavily, mirroring how the people of Liverpool are feeling about the horrific loss of an innocent child.

Fifteen years to the day since 11-year-old Rhys Jones’ death, it’s difficult to comprehend the senseless killing of another child.

A young girl, aged 6 or 7, could be seen stood in her doorway holding a handmade sign. She called me over and I asked what she had written. She said: ‘It says - want to be careful they have guns watch out on the close.’

She then went back inside, and I saw another hand written sign of the same sentiment, stuck to the outside of the house.

The local community will all rally together to support the family who’ve suffered a heartbreaking loss, and hope that the gunman who ended Olivia’s life is found.