Rio Jones jailed for life after shooting 15-year-old girl at Liverpool bus stop

A teenager been jailed for life after shooting in schoolgirl in the neck.

A 15-year-old girl was waiting for a bus home from school when Rio Jones fired multiple gunshots at a male rival as he chased him on an electric bike in Toxteth on the afternoon of Tuesday March 1, 2022.

The schoolgirl was standing at a bus stop on Upper Warwick Street when she was hit in the neck by a stray bullet. She was taken to hospital in a serious condition but was later released and continues to recover at home.

A 20-year-old man was also injured during the incident and received hospital treatment for a gunshot wound to the hand.

Jones was found guilty after a trial of the attempted murder of Shakur Watson, grevious bodily harm with intent and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.

The now 19-year-old was today sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court to life imprisonment with a minimum of 16 years and six months for the attempted murder.

He was also further sentenced to nine years to run concurrently for the wounding and 12 years for the firearms offence also to run concurrently.

His Honour Judge Andrew Menary KC also activated 12 months of a 18 month suspended sentence for wounding in connection with a previous incident.

In passing sentence HHJ Menary said the incident was evidence of gang related violence and that the shooting was a “planned and determined effort to kill a rival” and that there “must be a deterrent element to his sentence.”