A gunman is being hunted and people are being told to stay indoors after shots were fired outside the Showcase cinema.
Police were called to the building, on East Lancs Road around 8.50pm tonight, Wednesday 3 January, to reports a gun had been fired.
Officers were told a man had entered the premises carrying a firearm. About 20 minutes before there was an incident at Sangha’s Newsagent on Lower House Lane where a firearm had been fired.
READ MORE: Live updates as Showcase cinema locked down after major police incident
READ MORE: Showcase Cinema issues statement as police lock down building
One witness who was inside the cinema, Craig Moorhead, said he was kept inside the building for 45 minutes. The 35-year-old from Garston had been to watch Wonka with his daughter and her friend, who are both 14. He said as the film ended he heard police around the back of the building, and came out into the foyer to find the cinema had been locked down.
He said: “As we came out of the cinema screen the armed police response team was running in. I was talking to the girl on the desk, apparently a fella had pointed a shotgun at her.
“She was in shock.”
He said after being held inside the cinema, police began escorting small groups of people back to their cars past a line of armed police. The cinema is now thought to be empty, but the surrounding roads remain inside a cordon and are being examined by forensic officers.
Police confirmed armed officers and local policing officers are in the area and members of the public are advised to stay indoors while the incident is ongoing. At this stage no-one has been injured.
Anyone with information which could help the police should call 999.
Showcase Cinemas released a statement about the incident.
A spokesperson for Showcase Cinemas said: “We are aware of an incident at our cinema and surrounding area in Liverpool. The safety and welfare of our staff and customers is always our number one priority and we can confirm no one was injured. We would like to thank our team members and the local police for their swift responses to this active investigation.”
Don’t miss the biggest and breaking stories by signing up to the Echo Daily newsletter here
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
