Ashley Dale: who was woman shot dead in Liverpool’s Old Swan area - what happened to brother Lewis Dunne?

Tributes have been paid to 28-year-old Ashley Dale after she was shot dead in Liverpool during the early hours of Sunday.

The council worker was gunned to death in the back garden of her home in the Old Swan area, in what is believed to be a mistaken identity attack.

What happened to Ashley Dale? 

Ms Dale, who lived in Old Swan, Liverpool, was found with gunshot wounds in her back garden in Leinster Road at around 12.40 am on Sunday (21 August).

She was given treatment at the scene before being taken to the hospital, where she was sadly pronounced dead.

Police believe the attack on the address was targeted, but Ms Dale was not the intended target.

Police revealed that attackers burst through the front door and “indiscriminately” fired at Ms Dale.

According to the Liverpool Echo, Ms Dale’s car was towed away by police after it was found with flat tyres. It is not known why the car had flat tyres but police said it will be examined as part of the murder investigation and will be searched for any potential evidence.

Ms Dale was the half-sister of Lewis Dunne, 16, who was shot dead in a case of mistaken identity in Liverpool in 2015 after a gang mistook him for a rival. Their deaths are not believed to be connected.

Less than 48 hours after Ms Dale’s murder, a schoolgirl was shot dead at a house in Knotty Ash - around two miles from Old Swan.

Who was Ashley Dale? 

Ms Dale was a graduate who had recently secured a promotion with the environmental health team at Knowsley Council.

The family of Ms Dale issued the following statement: “Ashley, our girl – our shining light. Our hearts are broken into a million pieces.

“Ashley was a hard-working young woman, who had her entire life ahead of her.

“She had just been promoted at her job with Knowsley Council. She had a degree and so many plans for her bright future that had only just begun. Her laugh, smile and energy were infectious in any room.

“We can’t come to terms with how this would happen to a defenceless woman in her own home. None of this makes sense and our lives will never be the same again. A senseless crime that has torn a family apart. Justice needs to be brought.”

Neighbours of Ms Dale said: “People are shocked and upset because she was lovely.

“She was a nice, young girl just doing her own thing, enjoying life and then this happens. It doesn’t bear thinking about.”

Another neighbour, who was woken up by her partner hearing the sound of gunshots, said: “It’s very sad. It is worrying but you don’t know the situation. Everyone is on edge. She was a quiet girl, she kept herself to herself.”

What have police said about the murder?

Det Ch Supt Mark Kameen said Ms Dale was a “young, innocent woman enjoying her life”.

“We do not believe, at this time, that Ashley was in any way involved in this,” he said.

“We believe the property was being targeted. And the reasons for that are part of our investigation now as we move forward.”

‘Heartbreaking’ tributes

Tributes have flooded into social media, with comments on Merseyside Police’s Facebook page accumulating more than 1,000 comments.

One user wrote: “Heartbreaking, for her mother to lose two children in this way is horrific. My condolences to the family”.

Another person commented: “So so sad. My prayers and thoughts are with her family”.