Friends of shooting victim urged to help detectives

Ellis Cox was found fatally wounded on the Liver Industrial Estate in Aintree

Friends who were with a 19-year-old shooting victim when he was killed have been urged by detectives to find the "courage" to come forward and help the investigation.

Ellis Cox was discovered wounded on the Liver Industrial Estate in Aintree, Merseyside, just after 23:10 BST on Sunday.

He was taken to hospital but died a short time later.

Det Ch Supt Mark Baker, of Merseyside Police, said officers recognised the group may be "fearful" to speak but said it was important to get "justice for Ellis and his family".

'Devastated'

Speaking at a press conference, Det Ch Supt Baker appealed directly to the group of friends, who he said could hold the key to finding suspects.

He said: "Firstly, they will be completely devastated from what they have seen and may be fearful.

"Secondly they may know who is responsible, and thirdly they may just have anxiety in speaking to the police.

"For that reason we are appealing for family and friends to encourage them to come forward."

Police are yet to find the murder weapon

He said the teenager had borrowed a bicycle from a family member at about 17:00 BST and made his way to Aintree station where he met the friends.

Police believe the group then travelled towards Southport and Mr Cox spent time in Ormskirk before cycling back home with the same group.

"We know this because he phoned his mum and said he was on his way home," det Ch Supt Baker said.

Mr Cox was later found fatally wounded on an unnamed road on the Liver Industrial Estate.

Det Ch Supt Baker said they are trying to form a timeline between 17:00 BST and the moment when Mr Cox was shot.

'Fearful'

The murder weapon has not yet been found but the gun is believed to have been a self-loading pistol, the detective continued.

Speaking together with fellow superintendent Tony Fairhurst, he said the force has an open mind in relation to a potential motive, and are "desperate" to speak to the friends.

"We recognise as an investigation team that they will be fearful and distressed and I'd like to reassure them that we will do everything we can to support them," he said.

"We have seen too recently that gun crime tears families apart and the murder of young Ellis is the latest episode."

Police are appealing for any other witnesses who were in the area at the time, either driving, walking or cycling, and for anyone who may have dashcam footage to get in touch with the force.