Detectives continue to appeal for information following injury shooting in Knowsley

Detectives are continuing to appeal for information following a double injury shooting in Knowsley yesterday afternoon, Sunday 24 May.

At 2.50pm, we were called to Pottery Lane, Prescot (next to Stadt Moers Park in Whiston) to reports of two men in their 20s being found with gunshot wounds. Both victims were taken to hospital for assessment of their injuries.

We can confirm this morning (Monday 25 May) that both men remain in hospital in a stable condition.

There will remain a significant police presence in Prescot and Whiston today, as the investigation continues. House-to-house enquiries are being carried out, in addition to CCTV and forensic work, as we continue to piece together the circumstances.

Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Superintendent Rachel Wilson, said: “While the condition of both victims is improving, this was still an extremely serious incident which could have easily had fatal consequences. We now believe both men were found injured in Pottery Lane but were targeted in Stadt Moer Park, for reasons that will form part of this investigation. We are keeping an open mind at this stage as to what those reasons are, and of course welcome any information.

“Our work continues at pace today, and I would like to take this opportunity to urge anyone with information to make themselves known as soon as possible. Whether you live on or close to Pottery Lane, visit Stadt Moers Park, or were passing by the area in a vehicle around the time of the incident, please tell us what you know. Whether you have CCTV, dashcam, doorbell footage, a simple description – we are gathering everything available.

“Remember that a detail that you regard as trivial could be the key to our investigation. Please don’t assume we already know something, we will make that assessment and do all in our power to find those responsible. If you have any concerns about talking directly to police, call Crimestoppers anonymously.

Knowsley and St Helens Area Commander Graeme Robson said: “We do not underestimate the impact of such a incident on those who live, work and visit the community. People in Prescot will see a large police presence in the area in the coming days, not only to gather potential evidence but to provide visibility and reassurance to people who understandably feel fear from what happened yesterday, on a sunny afternoon near to a park.

“As well as patrols and detectives working in the area, we will have a mobile police station (pictured) close to the scene and I would encourage anyone with concerns to speak to our officers. Gun crime is increasingly rare in Merseyside and we know from experience that strong communities defeat serious and organised crime. I have no doubt that this is a strong community who are disgusted by what happened yesterday. We share this disgust, and we will stand alongside you to remove such people and their weapons from the streets.”

Anyone with information should contact Merseyside Police social media desk via X or Facebook @MerPolCC. You can also report information via our website: https://www.merseyside.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/ or by calling 101 quoting incident reference 26000411560.

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.