She wanted to end Christmas Eve in a bar with her friends. But the night ended with death for Elle Edwards († 26). Four other people were injured. The beautician was with her sister and some colleagues in a pub in Wallasey Village, England, when shots suddenly rang out.
“At first we thought it was fireworks,” two friends tell SkyNews. It wasn’t until they heard Edwards’ screams that they realized how dangerous the situation was.
“The second time I heard Elle, I was like, ‘That’s not true, that’s not true, that’s not true.'” A bullet hit the 26-year-old right in the head. A targeted assassination? Police believe Edwards was not the target of the attack, but was accidentally hit. At least ten shots were fired that evening, according to images from surveillance cameras.
She was “a wonderful soul”
Edwards’ sister, who lives in Dubai and had come to the UK for the holiday, left the bar shortly before the attack. She and the entire family are devastated and publicly mourn their daughter. Together they laid flowers and cards after the horror act. “To my beautiful Elle, you are the light of my life, you will never disappear,” the parents wrote on a card. Friends are also shocked. Elle Edwards was such a wonderful, sweet person, “a wonderful soul”. Her happiness was contagious. “There’s never been a time when we weren’t having fun.”
A heart-shaped plaque with a pink and green floral design reads: “Special daughter, the happiness you brought in your own way will be fondly remembered every day.”
Local MP Angela Eagle called the crime “heartbreaking”. She asked eyewitnesses and accomplices to share their information with police. The pub is central to the community, said the vicar of a nearby church. The pub called the incident “an indescribable tragedy” in a statement. The background to the shooting is still unclear. But the detectives already have two people in their sights. A 30-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder, the BBC reports. In addition, a woman (19) was arrested on suspicion of complicity in murder. (abbot)