Liverpool fans pay tribute to Olivia Pratt-Korbel - BBC News
A minute's applause is held before Liverpool's game for the nine-year-old girl, who was shot in her home.
Olivia Pratt-Korbel was shot after a gunman ran into her home

Thousands of football fans have paid tribute to nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel, who was shot inside her home.

Applause rang out in the ninth minute of Liverpool's game at Anfield, while fans sang You'll Never Walk Alone.

Merseyside Police issued an appeal for information before the match started with Bournemouth.

Two men, aged 33 and 36, arrested on suspicion of Olivia's murder on Monday have been released on bail, police said.

Fans applauded in the ninth minute of Liverpool's match in tribute to Olivia Pratt-Korbel

Olivia was shot after a gunman chased a man - both of whom had no links to her family - into her home.

Her mother was shot in the wrist as she tried to the shut the door but the attacker then fired two more shots at the man he had pursued.

Each of the arrested men have also been detained on two counts of attempted murder.

The applause at Anfield was part of a series of tributes in the city, after four people were killed in the space of a week in Merseyside.

Balloons were also released at Sefton Park in memory of Ashley Dale, who was gunned down in her garden on Sunday.

Ashley Dale, Sam Rimmer and Karen Dempsey were also killed this August

The tributes were held as police continue their investigations, which included arresting a fourth person on suspicion of the murder of 22-year-old Sam Rimmer on 16 August.

He was with a group of friends in Lavrock Bank cul-de-sac when they were shot at by riders on two electric bikes, Merseyside Police said.

A 23-year-old man from Liverpool is being interviewed by detectives after he was detained on suspicion of murder.

A 17-year-old boy and two men, aged 20 and 21, who were previously arrested on suspicion of murder have since been bailed.

Police arrested a second man on Friday over the shooting of Olivia

Balloons were released earlier in memory of 28-year-old council worker Ashley Dale, who is not believed to have been the intended target of Sunday's attack, police said.

A man has been arrested on suspicion of her murder, while a woman was detained on suspicion of assisting an offender.

Ms Dale was the half-sister of 16-year-old Lewis Dunne, who was shot dead in a case of mistaken identity in Liverpool in 2015.

Home Secretary Priti Patel visited where Olivia was shot on Friday

Karen Dempsey, 55, was also found stabbed in a pub car park in Kirkby on Monday. Her son has been charged with her murder.

The government has said it will allocate £500,000 for Merseyside to counter crime and provide mental health support after the recent killings.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said "the whole country has been appalled at the spate of violence" and that the funds would "disrupt" organised crime in the region.

However Liverpool City Region mayor Steve Rotheram described it as a "down payment", saying "the systemic issues that have led us to this situation will require further support".

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