Rhys Jones: Prime suspect arrested for 'carrying a gun'

Jan 30 2008

THE prime suspect in the Rhys Jones murder inquiry has been arrested on suspicion of carrying a gun.

The 17-year-old was one of the first people questioned by murder squad detectives in the aftermath of the shooting of 11-year-old Rhys last August.

He was questioned at length then, before being released.

Along with 12 others, the teenager remains on bail in connection with the Rhys inquiry.

Firearms officers from the anti-gun and anti-gang Matrix police squad swooped at the teenager’s Croxteth home yesterday morning as part of a completely separate investigation.

It followed the arrest of five people on Monday.

The boy was arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm and was taken to a nearby police station.

He was questioned by detectives throughout the day and kept in custody overnight.

It is thought he will be quizzed further today.

Of the three men and two woman picked up in Monday’s raids, in Carr Close, Croxteth, four were released on bail and one remains in custody.

They were arrested after a gun was found in the house.

Officers searching the property also found rare birds’ eggs.

A Merseyside police spokeswoman said: “Detectives from the specialist Matrix team executed a warrant at an address in Croxteth and arrested a 17- year-old youth in connection with firearms offences.

“The raids are part of the ongoing strategy to reduce gun-crime on Merseyside and the youth, arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm, was taken to a police station on Merseyside for questioning by detectives.”

Everton-fan Rhys was shot and killed as he walked home from football practice across the car park of the Fir Tree Pub, near to his Croxteth Park home, on Wednesday, August 22.

He was hit in the neck by a bullet thought to have been fired as part of the ongoing feud between gangs in Croxteth and Norris Green.

So far police have arrested 18 people in connection with the Rhys Jones investigation.

Of those 13 are on bail and five are being treated as potential witnesses.