Two arrests made over Croxteth shooting
{{date|August 23, 2007}}
{{United Kingdom}}Two teenagers, aged 14 and 18, have been [[w:arrest|arrest]]ed on suspicion of the [[w:murder|murder]] of an 11-year-old boy. The boy, identified by detectives as Rhys Jones, was shot last night in the [[w:Croxteth|Croxteth]] area of [[w:Liverpool|Liverpool]], on his way home from playing football, by a hooded youth. The police are expecting to make further arrests during the week.

[[w:Merseyside Police|Merseyside Police]] have said the youths, both males, are also from the Croxteth area. They have since been [[w:bail|bail]]ed, and the police are now looking for a person aged 13 to 15-years-old. There is some speculation that a gang known as the "Croxteth Crew" may have been involved.

Bernard Hogan-Howe, Merseyside Police [[w:Chief Constable|Chief Constable]], has made it clear that the police are still considering other leads, saying: "There have been two arrests in this case, but that doesn't prove anything. The principal thing I need to get over to the public is we need your help, and we are not yet at all certain as to who committed this crime." He went on to state the police are looking for both the killer and the person who provided the weapon.

[[w:Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|PM]] [[w:Gordon Brown|Gordon Brown]] has described the incident as a "heinous crime that shocked the whole of the [[w:United Kingdom|country]]", while [[w:Home Secretary|Home Secretary]] [[w:Jacqui Smith|Jacqui Smith]] said she is "shocked and saddened to hear about this tragic shooting". They both joined calls for the local community to cooperate fully with the police.

The leader of [[w:Liverpool City Council|Liverpool City Council]], [[w:Warren Bradley (politician)|Warren Bradley]], has called for "a summit consisting of community leaders, police, emergency services and reformed criminals of all major cities to be held with the home secretary to find solutions to the issues we all face". He says [[w:Gun violence|gun crime]] "is an issue that all major cities face".

==Related news==
*{{wikinews|title=11-year-old boy dies after being shot in Liverpool|date=August 22, 2007}}

== Sources ==
*{{source|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/merseyside/6959761.stm
|title=Two held in hunt for boy's killer
|author=
|pub=BBC News Online
|date=August 23, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.inthenews.co.uk/news/crime/pair-arrested-after-liverpool-boy-shot-dead-$1125987.htm
|title= Pair arrested after Liverpool boy shot dead
|author=
|pub=inthenews.co.uk
|date=August 23, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/society/law_order/two%20held%20over%20boys%20shooting/713447
|title=Two held over boy's shooting
|author=Darshna Soni, Nima Elbagir
|pub=Channel 4 News
|date=August 23, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0823/britain.html
|title=Two youths held after Liverpool shooting
|author=
|pub=RTÉ News
|date=August 23, 2007}}

{{publish}}
{{archived}}

[[Category:Liverpool]]
[[Category:England]]
[[Category:United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Europe]]
[[Category:Crime and law]]
[[Category:Jacqui Smith]]

[[es:Dos arrestos por los tiroteos en Croxteth]]
Two teenagers, aged 14 and 18, have been arrested on suspicion of the murder of an 11-year-old boy. The boy, identified by detectives as Rhys Jones, was shot last night in the Croxteth area of Liverpool, on his way home from playing football, by a hooded youth. The police are expecting to make further arrests during the week.

Merseyside Police have said the youths, both males, are also from the Croxteth area. They have since been bailed, and the police are now looking for a person aged 13 to 15-years-old. There is some speculation that a gang known as the "Croxteth Crew" may have been involved.

Bernard Hogan-Howe, Merseyside Police Chief Constable, has made it clear that the police are still considering other leads, saying: "There have been two arrests in this case, but that doesn't prove anything. The principal thing I need to get over to the public is we need your help, and we are not yet at all certain as to who committed this crime." He went on to state the police are looking for both the killer and the person who provided the weapon.

PM Gordon Brown has described the incident as a "heinous crime that shocked the whole of the country", while Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said she is "shocked and saddened to hear about this tragic shooting". They both joined calls for the local community to cooperate fully with the police.

The leader of Liverpool City Council, Warren Bradley, has called for "a summit consisting of community leaders, police, emergency services and reformed criminals of all major cities to be held with the home secretary to find solutions to the issues we all face". He says gun crime "is an issue that all major cities face".
Liverpool England United Kingdom Europe Crime and law Jacqui Smith