Olivia Pratt-Korbel: Police arrest 34-year-old man on suspicion of murder

Officers say investigation into the nine-year-old is ongoing

Police have arrested a 34-year-old man on suspicion of the murder of Olivia Pratt-Korbel.

Nine-year-old Olivia was shot in the chest at her home in Dovecot, Liverpool, on August 22.

Her mother, Cheryl Korbel, 46, was injured as the gunman chased convicted burglar Joseph Nee into their property at about 10pm.

Police arrest man on suspicion of murdering Olivia Pratt-Korbel (PA Media)

Merseyside Police said on Thursday evening that a man from the area has been taken to a police station where he will be questioned by detectives.

Officers said the investigation into Olivia’s murder is ongoing and continues the appeal for information. The force had already arrested nine other men as part of the investigation but all had been bailed.

The youngster was rushed to Alder Hey hospital in a critical condition but was later pronounced dead.

Her death followed months of growing tensions in the area and is thought to have been the latest incident in a series of tit-for-tat gang attacks.

Nine-year-old Olivia was shot in the chest at her home in Dovecot, Liverpool (PA Media)

The reward offered in the hunt for the killer had been increased to £200,000.

Announcing Crimestoppers’s biggest single reward offer last week, the charity’s founder and chairman Lord Ashcroft said: “This case has been incredibly shocking, not just for those who are directly affected but also for Liverpool and the nation as a whole.

“I am delighted that with the support of a private donor, Crimestoppers can now offer a record £200,000 for information to catch Olivia’s killer.

“A precious young life has been lost so we need every effort to find those involved in this appalling killing.”

Olivia was one of three people shot dead in the space of a week in Liverpool amid a rise in gun and knife crimes.

Council worker Ashley Dale, 28, was shot in her back garden in another part of the city in what police believe may have been a case of mistaken identity, while 22-year-old mechanic Sam Rimmer died after two people opened fire as he stood in the street with friends.

Investigators have identified the two guns used in the shooting – a .38 revolver that killed Olivia, and a Glock-type self-loading 9mm pistol that has been used in three attacks in Dovecot over a two-and-a-half-year period.

Anyone with information is asked to DM @MerPolCC or contact @CrimestoppersUK on 0800 555 111.