Police investigating the fatal shooting of a nine-year-old girl in Liverpool have said “silence is not an option” and they “need names”, following the arrests of two men.
Merseyside Police said it wants to ensure there is “no hiding place for anyone involved” in the killing of Olivia Pratt-Korbel.
A local councillor told Sky News that grief in the community has turned to “anger” over the shooting on Monday night.
Armed officers arrested a 33-year-old man, from the Dovecot area of Liverpool, on suspicion of murder and two counts of attempted murder on Friday afternoon.
On Thursday, a 36-year-old man from the Huyton area was arrested on the same charges.
Olivia was shot after a gunman chased his intended target, who has been named as 35-year-old convicted burglar Joseph Nee, into her family home in Dovecot. Her mother Cheryl, 46, was injured in the shooting.
Police were seen carrying a door away from the murder scene on Saturday.
Harry Doyle, assistant mayor of Liverpool, told Sky News: “The community are clearly going through the stages of grief. We feel it.
“Initially it was shock, now it’s very much anger, and you feel that.
“(There is) anger about lots of things but ultimately we want to find the right people (responsible).”
Councillor Doyle said he had not seen reluctance from the community in coming forward with information.
He told Sky News: “People have come forward with information since day one – and they’ve come forward in their droves.
“I know the police have been really impressed with the amount of people who have come forward with information.”
In an appeal to the “criminal fraternity”, he added: “People who know who have done this, we need to make sure they’re speaking up.”
Merseyside Police released aerial footage of the moment the 36-year-old was arrested on suspicion of Olivia’s murder by armed officers on Thursday.
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In the clip, officers can be seen leading the man away due to heat signature technology.
Police also released an image of an Audi Q3 that was believed to have been used to take Nee, who was injured in the shooting, to hospital.
That vehicle has been seized and is being examined by forensic experts.
On Saturday morning, Merseyside Police tweeted: “A simple request – share this far and wide, to everyone you know, and ask them to share if further still, so that there’s no hiding place for anyone involved in the murder of little Olivia. We need names. Silence is not an option.”
Olivia’s family has paid tribute to her, describing her as a “unique, chatty, nosey little girl who broke the mould when she was born”.
They added: “Although her life was short, her personality certainly wasn’t and she lived it to the most she could, and would blow people away with her wit and kindness.”
The family has urged people to “do the right thing”, and said: “If anyone knows anything, now is the time to speak up. It is not about being a ‘snitch’ or a ‘grass’, it is about finding out who took our baby away from us.”
A Go Fund Me page has raised more than £34,000 for Olivia’s family.
Organiser Steven Mccracken wrote: “We are raising funds to help the family with this tragic loss.
“We can’t imagine the pain they’re all going through and want to help in any way we can. Let’s give this little angel the send off she deserves.”
He added that he had been in contact with Olivia’s family and her mother Cheryl would be “withdrawing the funds directly”.
