A cyclist was shot dead by a gunman who chased him through the streets of a city, police said.
David Garrity, 32, was targeted by gunman who chased him in a car and fired three shots at him as he fled down an alleyway. One bullet struck him in the upper torso and he was killed instantly.
Police in Liverpool were called to the scene at around 3am after the gunfire was heard by residents.
They found Mr Garrity slumped in an alleyway just off Stanley Road, near to the junction of Boundary Road, in the Kirkdale area of the city. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Chief Superintendent Peter Currie, of Merseyside Police, said a post mortem confirmed he died as the result of a gunshot wound to the left side of his upper torso.
He added the offenders incident used a white Volvo T5, which was seen to race off from the scene along Stanley Road towards the city centre.
The car, registration W943 TRH, was later found burnt out at a railway underpass at the junction of Bedford Road and Kings Road, in nearby Bootle.
Mr Currie said: "We believe this was a targeted attack and I am appealing to anyone who may have information which could help us with our inquiries to come forward.
"Stanley Road is a main road in and out of the city centre and although this happened in the early hours of the morning I am sure there would still have been a number of people who had been in the city for a night out who would be using this as a route home.
"I would appeal to anyone who was in the area, who may have seen or heard anything which could help us with our inquiries to contact us immediately."
