Tearful brother of murdered Rhys visits shrine

12 April 2012

Brotherly love: Owen Jones holds younger brother, Rhys

Brotherly love: Owen Jones holds younger brother, Rhys

Owen, flanked by four friends, delivered a large bouquet and remained to pay his respects for several minutes.

The 17-year-old also delivered an Everton rug bearing the motto "The People's Club".

Placing it on the ground, he paused to look over the hundreds of bunches of flowers that have arrived since the shooting on Wednesday night last week.

Owen, who was composed throughout his visit, was escorted with his friends back through the cordon by police officers.

Four days on since the Everton-mad youngster died, residents of Croxteth Park are continuing to visit the crime spot to pay their last respects.

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A tearful Owen kneels down to read floral tributes today left at a shrine for his brother Rhys

Owen carries flowers to the shrine for Rhys

The main road passing by the Fir Tree pub where the gunman opened fire remained closed.

Owen's visit comes the day after he paid a touching tribute to his younger brother by posting an internet message that read: "Please do not think my brother was part of any gang, he was just an innocent boy in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"He loved Everton, loved playing football and idolised players such as Lescott, Yobo, Arteta, AJ – to name just a few of his favourites.

"He spent all his money on every Everton kit possible just to show how proud he was to be an Evertonian. He was a cracking little player as well.

"I hope to God that the thug who fired at Rhys is caught and gets his punishment for taking such a promising life away because I do not want anybody, blue or red, feeling what myself and my family currently are. RIP my little brother, you will never be forgotten."

Owen explained: "I took the time to set up this account just to inform you that Rhys wasn't part of any gang. He was shot in the back of the neck while walking home after finishing football training for his team."

Rhys's mother Melanie, 41, wept as 38,000 fans gave a tumultuous minute-long round of applause at Goodison Park. The clapping at the Everton versus Blackburn Rovers match replaced the traditional minute's silence.

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The grieving parents during the tribute at Everton's match

The grieving parents during the tribute at Everton's match

Melanie stood with husband Stephen, 44, and Owen as Rhys's heroes Mikel Arteta, Phil Neville and Andy Johnson lead the cries of "Everton, Everton".

Meanwhile police snatch squads, backed up by armed response units with special stop and search powers, were sweeping the Norris Green and Croxteth areas of Liverpool – home to rival gangs the Croccy Crew and the Nogga Dogs.

A 15-year-old boy, one of seven people - including two girls of 15 and 18 - held over the killing of 11-year-old Rhys Jones, has been released on police bail, police said today.

A 19-year-old arrested on suspicion of murder was yesterday being treated in hospital after he tried to flee by jumping from a first-floor window as police swooped.

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Friends today lit a candle at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Catholic Church in Liverpool to remember Rhys

Friends today lit a candle at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Catholic Church in Liverpool to remember Rhys

Officers said they were "turning up the heat" on the gangs in an effort to convince crucial witnesses to the murder outside the Fir Tree pub in Croxteth to come forward.

Detectives have appealed for a woman to come forward after it was revealed she had been seen pushing a pram at the murder scene only five minutes before the youngster was gunned down by the bike-riding killer on Wednesday evening.

Det Supt David Kelly said: "We believe she will have passed within close proximity to the killer.

"I ask for this woman to come forward to speak to us, and provide any information, however trivial she might think it.

"We need as much detail about this killer as possible and she may be a key witness.

"She is described as wearing white, wide-legged trousers with a dark tunic-style top, almost like a smock. She had dark hair, possibly tied back, and was pushing a dark-coloured pram at about 7.25pm."

Mr Kelly also made a further direct appeal to family and friends of the killer - who was aged between 13 and 15.

He added: "Somebody out there is very close to the killer. Somebody knows him and knows what he's done."

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Floral tributes laid at the Dixie Dean statue outside Everton's football ground for Rhys

Floral tributes laid at the Dixie Dean statue outside Everton's football ground for Rhys

Mr Kelly said the murderer fired three shots at Rhys – one of which passed through the windows of a parked BMW before hitting him in the neck and killing him. The car was empty and the owner has been ruled out of the investigation.

Rhys, who police said was walking home alone after football practice, was probably shot by a revolver because no spent cartridges have been found.

Despite extensive searches and the existence of CCTV footage, detectives have not yet established the killer's exact position in the car park when he fired the three bullets. Mr Kelly would not confirm the suggestion that some CCTV cameras weren't working on the night.

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Evidence hunt: Fingertip search at the murder scene

Evidence hunt: Fingertip search at the murder scene

Mr Kelly said: "There is no suggestion that Rhys was targeted. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"He was very unlucky."

Senior officers are hoping criminals in the Norris Green and Croxteth gangs will be so shocked at the shooting that sooner or later one of them will provide a vital clue.

The Broadway, where the 16-year-old was arrested on Friday, is the centre of Nogga Dogs activities. The gang is thought to number more than 100 members, mainly aged between 14 and 25.

One 16-year-old from Croxteth said: "There is no way that any of us from the Croccy Crew would be down in Broadway unless we were going in mob-handed to have a go at the Nogg Heads.

"This is going to set it off good style. There are going to be a lot of lads round here who are going to want to off someone from Norris Green for what they have done to this kid Rhys."

Sickening videos of Liverpool gun gangs flaunting their weapons...

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