Two years after the fatal shooting of 19-year-old Ellis Cox in Liverpool, police have revealed that the murder weapon was used in two earlier shootings. The self-loading pistol was fired at a car in Garston, damaging its window, and three months before the murder, a flat on Willowdale Road in Walton was sprayed with bullets from the same gun. The weapon has not been recovered and has not been used since Ellis's death.
The Night of the Murder
On June 23, 2024, Ellis Cox was returning home with friends after a day out when they were approached by a group on electric bikes near Taskers on the Liver Industrial estate at around 10:50 pm. Ellis tried to flee but was shot in the back. The killing occurred amid a street-level drug dealing conflict between rival factions in north Liverpool. Ellis had no involvement in crime, but his associates were part of one gang targeted by another.
Investigation Details
Detective Chief Inspector Steve McGrath, leading the investigation, told the Liverpool Echo that the same gun was used in two prior incidents. He said, "We've established there are a couple of groups of people who are involved in street-level drug dealing in and around the Walton area, but that expands through Aintree and Fazakerley. It appears to me that there's been some sort of dispute in relation to those individuals over a period of time."
Around 18 months before the murder, there were fights and an aggravated burglary linked to the factions. McGrath added, "Those involved who were with Ellis on the night have got associations to those other individuals who have been involved in those previous incidents. As I've said before, Ellis was not involved in criminality."
Arrests and Challenges
Police have made nine arrests, including three in recent weeks. McGrath said, "We potentially have three or four people directly involved at the scene, but when you have got factional disputes and criminality involved in the background there are other people who are potentially involved in the arranging of these murders." He expressed confidence that they are close to charging the trigger-puller, noting that the tight-knit group has made the investigation difficult.
Family's Plea for Justice
Ellis's mother, Carolyn Cox, said the family is living a different life since the murder. "It is never going to be the same, but all we can do is keep Ellis' face everywhere, keep doing what we are doing, the police keep doing what they are doing," she said. "We want to make sure people don't forget and they know that we need them to search their conscience and help us get justice. Why would you not want these people off the street? Because they will do it again."
She added, "We always say if it can happen to Ellis, then it can happen to anybody, because they will still go and run around thinking they're in the movies with a gun. They're not professionals. These are just scum with guns."
Ellis's aunt, Julie O'Toole, urged the public to speak up. "They get to carry on, don't they, with their lives. They get to have their holidays and their days out and spend time with their family and friends, planning their futures. We could go down into a very dark place thinking about these people and their lack of morals, but we can't let ourselves go there."
Crimestoppers has increased its reward to £20,000, and Ellis's family has doubled the reward for information leading to a conviction.
