'Everyone who met her fell in love': Heartbroken mum of Olivia Pratt-Korbel, 9, pays tribute to 'amazing' daughter
6 September 2022, 19:47 | Updated: 6 September 2022, 20:55
The devastated mother of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel has paid tribute to her "amazing" daughter and called for witnesses to or perpetrators in her murder to come forward in a heartbreaking video.
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Olivia's mum Cheryl, who was shot in the hand in the shooting that killed her daughter, said: "She was amazing.
"She loved life.
"She was my little shadow, she went everywhere with me."
"She didn't like school because she had to do work, but she loved it because she was there with all her friends," Cheryl went on, in the video released through Merseyside Police.
"Everyone that she met, they all fell in love with her.
"She left a mark on everyone that she met.
"And she may well have only been nine, but she packed a lot in them nine years."
Appeal for Olivia - Cheryl
Wearing a cast on her wrist after being injured during the shooting, she said her daughter "hurt your ears because she never, never stopped talking".
"And that's what I missed the most, because I can't hear her talk," she went on.
She urged anyone with information to come forward, saying she always taught her children they should "own up" if they do something wrong.
"I'm hoping that they come forward so this doesn't happen to anybody else," she said.
"You know you've gone wrong so you need to own up, like I've taught my kids.
"You do something wrong, you own up to it.
"If anyone is hiding these guns, they need to speak up because they need to be off these streets.
"No one, no one at all should have to go through this.
"We were organising days out, we were on the summer holidays.
"We took Liv swimming. We went to Blackpool, just me and Liv, and we were talking about going together, a new uniform for school... but I didn't get that chance.
"To go and get a school uniform. But I'll keep going for Liv."
Olivia's father, John Francis Pratt, also paid tribute to his daughter and called for anyone with information on her death to come forward.
In a statement, Mr Pratt and his wider family said: "We don't want another child to lose their life in such horrendous circumstances and we don't want to see another family suffer like we are suffering now.
"Olivia's death cannot be in vain and we want people to feel safe and be safe, that can only happen if we all come together and make sure there is no place for guns, or those who use guns on our streets or in our communities."
A 34-year-old man from Liverpool arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder remains in custody after police were granted an extension to continue questioning him.
Three other men have been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.
Olivia was shot in her home when a gunman chased convicted burglar Joseph Nee into the property at about 10pm on August 22.
A post-mortem examination found the medical cause of her death was a gunshot wound to the chest.
