British police and prosecutors announced on Saturday that they would charge a 34-year-old man with the murder of a nine-year-old girl who was shot dead at her home in Liverpool, north-west England, in August. Olivia Pratt-Korbel was shot in the chest on August 22nd.
His mother had opened the door to their home after hearing a noise in the street. A man then burst in, pursued by a second, who fired indiscriminately, injuring the 46-year-old mother’s hand and killing the little girl who was behind her.
His death – then the third deadly shooting in the city in a week – shocked the country and sparked calls for more action to tackle guns and organized crime. In a statement, local police said Thomas Cashman, from West Derby on the outskirts of Liverpool, has been charged with the girl’s murder.
The man is also charged with the attempted murder of Cheryl Korbel, Olivia’s mother, and Joseph Nee, a burglar. Cashman and another suspect, Paul Russell, 40, who is accused of being his accomplice, will be brought to trial in Liverpool on Monday. Police are continuing their investigation to identify other accomplices, including “the people who supplied the gun or who hid the guns used in this incident.”