Two men critical after targeted shooting near Merseyside park

Two men are in critical condition in hospital after a targeted double shooting near a park in Prescot, Merseyside, on Sunday afternoon. Police were called to Pottery Lane, close to Stadt Moers Park, just before 3pm following reports of gunfire. The victims, both in their twenties, were found with gunshot wounds and were rushed to hospital by air ambulance. Merseyside Police said later that evening that both men remained in a critical condition.

Officers sealed off the area, including the M57 flyover bridge, and established multiple cordons around the park entrance and nearby streets. Forensic teams were seen examining what appeared to be clothing on the road, and a knife was visible on the ground at the park entrance, though its connection to the shooting has not been confirmed. Residents in the normally quiet residential area expressed shock at the violence unfolding on a sunny bank holiday afternoon. One woman living opposite the cordon said her grandchildren alerted her to a helicopter landing and police tape going up, describing the scene as shocking and noting that children and dog walkers are always in the park. Another neighbour said they only heard the helicopter and...