Neighbors in disbelief after ‘nice, hard-working boy’ shot dead

Neighbors have paid tribute to a “polite and friendly” young man who was shot dead in Aintree.

Police were called to the Liver Industrial Estate, close to Taskers in Aintree, just after 11.10pm on Sunday, June 23, following a report by paramedics, who were treating a man at the scene. When police arrived, they found the man had been shot.

He was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later. His next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specialist family liaison officers.

The victim has now been named as 19-year-old Ellis Cox. A large police cordon was put in place at Liver Industrial Station this afternoon, with several police vehicles and forensic vans at the scene.

READ MORE: Man shot dead in Aintree named as picture of family problem

READ MORE: Police have cordoned off “Ralla” after a man was shot

Police were also present on Grace Road in Walton, which is connected to the industrial estate via the Liverpool Loop Line. At the bottom of Grace Road, the entrance to the alley – known locally as ‘The Ralla’ – has been cordoned off, with police standing guard there since early Monday morning.

The ECHO understands Ellis lived with his family on Grace Road. Neighbors in the area spoke of their shock and disbelief that the young man had died in such horrific circumstances.

A neighbor told the ECHO: “I am very shocked. He was a nice boy, a very good child. He was very polite and friendly – always saying hello and smiling. And he was a worker. You could see him going out. work early every morning.”

“There’s a lot of gangs that sit on that road on their bikes. But he wasn’t like that – he was the last person I would have thought that would happen to. It’s just awful, very scary.”

People living in the area were shaken by the news of Ellis’ death. A young mother who lives near the Liver industrial estate said: “I told my daughter to stay inside. It scares me a lot. It could be anyone.”

Irene, 81, traveled to Liverpool from Wigan today to get some wallpaper from Taskers in Aintree, only to find the shop closed. She said: “Now I know why it’s closed, I wouldn’t dream of complaining.

“What a terrible thing that happened. So sad to hear I’m praying for the lad’s family.”

Extensive CCTV and house-to-house inquiries are being carried out in the area. High visibility patrols have been stepped up in the area to provide reassurance and officers will be available to speak to anyone who may have concerns, police said.

Mark Baker, who is leading the investigation for Merseyside Police, said: “This was a horrific and tragic incident in which a young man lost his life and our thoughts are first and foremost with his family as they try to come to terms. with his loss.

“I would appeal to anyone who may have seen him to come forward as their information could be vital. While this happened in an industrial area, there are residential homes nearby and I would urge anyone who may have seen someone acting suspiciously in the area, or heard anything, to come forward so we can get answers to his family and to bring his killer or killers to justice.

“I would appeal to any drivers who may have captured footage on their dash cam to come forward, even if it appears to be harmless.

“It could prove vital to our efforts to bring justice to this young man and his family. It is essential that people with information, however small, contact us as it could be vital to the investigation.

“Gun violence has taken too many young lives here in Merseyside. While the past 12 months have seen the lowest number of firearm discharges in more than two decades, our efforts to take guns off the streets and put those reckless enough to use them in prison have not they will never stop.

“Every day our officers execute warrants, conduct strip searches and stop and frisk to take guns and other weapons off our streets. We target all available resources in the right areas to eliminate guns and those who use them, and we work daily with our partners and in communities affected by gun crime.

“Incidents like this are a tragic reminder of why we must continue this work – gun crime can tear families apart and destroy far more lives than just the victim alone.

“If you have any information about this incident please call 101, DM @MerPolCC or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 quoting reference 1121 of June 23. Always call 999 if a crime is in progress.

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