Murder of Rhys Jones
| Rhys Jones | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Rhys Milford Jones 27 September 1995 Liverpool, England |
| Died | 22 August 2007 (aged 11) Liverpool, England |
| Cause of death | Shooting |
| Known for | Murder victim |
Rhys Milford Jones (27 September 1995 – 22 August 2007) was murdered in Liverpool at the age of 11 when he was shot in the back. Sean Mercer, aged 16, went on trial on 2 October 2008, and was found guilty of murder on 16 December. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 22 years.
Jones was the son of Stephen (born in Liverpool) and Melanie Jones (née Edwards; born in Wrexham). They have an older son, Owen (born 1990). Jones, who would have turned 12 one month after his death, had just left Broad Square Primary School on the Norris Green housing estate, and was due to start secondary school at Fazakerley High School in September 2007. His headteacher and neighbours said he was a friendly and popular boy who loved football.
Jones, who played for the Fir Tree Boys football club, was on his way home from football practice alone. As he was crossing the Fir Tree pub car park in the Croxteth Park estate, Liverpool, a hooded youth riding a silver mountain bike approached. He then held out a Smith & Wesson handgun at arm's length, firing three shots. It was originally believed that one of the shots hit Jones in the neck, but during the trial, the pathologist revealed that the bullet had entered his back above his left shoulder blade and then exited from the front right side of his neck. The shooting occurred in daylight at 7.30 pm BST.
Jones' mother rushed to the scene when she heard what had happened. By the time she had reached him, he was unconscious. Paramedics tried for one and a half hours to resuscitate him, but he was pronounced dead some time later at Alder Hey Children's Hospital. Local radio station Radio City 96.7's programming on the night of the incident, in particular the 10pm–2am show, was dedicated to an amnesty for witnesses and a talk on gun crime. Radio City also launched their anti-gun-crime campaign (backed by Jones' parents), In Rhys's Name Get Guns Off Our Streets, after the incident.
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