Police believe the incident was a “targeted attack”
A little girl was playing in the front garden of a house when a gun was fired at a nearby property, neighbours said.
Merseyside Police cordoned off William Henry Street in Bootle this evening after a gun was fired at a terraced house just off Derby Road.
The force confirmed it was called to the road shortly after 5.50pm following reports that shots had been fired at a house on the road by a bearded man wearing a camouflage jacket and damage had been done to the front of the property.
Officers found damage to the front wall of a house. No-one was injured in the incident.
When the ECHO arrived, forensic teams could be seen working inside the cordon on the street, with the majority of the road closed to the public while work continued.
People who live on the road were being told they couldn’t enter the cordon and many were forced to continue driving down the main road.
Crime scene investigators continue working at the scene and house-to-house enquiries are underway. Following the shooting, high visibility patrols have been stepped up in the area.
Detective Inspector Keith Swift, said: “An investigation into the full circumstances of this incident is ongoing, however, we do believe it was a targeted attack.
“I would appeal to anyone who may have seen anyone acting suspiciously in the area around Owen Road shortly before, or after the incident, to contact us. Information they have could be vital.”
One neighbour, who asked not to be named, told the ECHO: “I got home at 6.30pm and all the police were here. A little girl was in one of the front gardens when they fired the gun. No one was hurt.
“Police have blocked off the road and no one can get in or out..”
Another woman who lives on the road said she was out when it happened but was told by another neighbour how they “heard gunshots”, and another man said he saw armed police when he looked out the window while at home.
He said: “There was armed police here. I was completely oblivious to it. I was washing the dishes and looking after my little one when it actually happened but then armed police arrived.”
Another woman, living on Derby Road, said: “I’m so shocked, I was in most of the afternoon and heard nothing. I have been living here for 15 years and never seen anything like this on the road before.”
Anyone with information is asked to DM @merpolcc, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, quoting reference 0788 of 4 April.