Heartbreaking moment mum sobs ‘he was my baby’ after son shot dead on bike ride with pals
A MUM has begged for anyone who could lead cops to her son’s killer to come forward a year after after he was shot dead while out on his bike.
Ellis Cox, 19, was “making the most of a sunny day” when he was shot on the Liver Industrial Estate in Aintree, Liverpool on June 23.
Yesterday, on what would have been Ellis’ 20th birthday, his mum Carolyn made a desperate appeal to catch her son’s killer.
In tears, she told Sky News: “He was my baby. No mum should have to bury their child.
“He was kind, wise, so laid back, calm, so mature for his age.
“We’ve done first Christmas without Ellis and obviously now it’s his first birthday, so this is long enough time – six months – to wait for anything. So please if you know anything don’t let us wait until next birthday and still know nothing.
“We need to get justice for Ellis and we need to get people who took us from us off the streets.”
She added: “He was 19, but he was my baby and he was my life. And I don’t know what I’m going to do without him.”
In a clip shared by Merseyside Police the same day, the heartbroken mum sobbed: “I miss him. The house is too quiet.
“Our conversations, he would end with ‘God mum you can’t half talk.’ Because I would talk too much when he got home from work.
“But he would always listen.”
The teen was shot in the back after what was thought to be a confrontation between his friends and another group of males.
Police were called to the estate just after 11.10pm, following a report from North West Ambulance Service paramedics, who were treating the teenager.
He was then taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later.
At the time, cops said they were trawling CCTV footage in a desperate bid to find the killer.
But over six months later, no one has been charged – despite multiple people being arrested in connection with the incident.
In a statement following the tragic events, Ellis’ family shared a heartfelt tribute to the boy, who they described as
They said: “Ellis was making the most of a sunny day going on a bike ride with his friends.
“Ellis loved the outdoors and spent lots of time with his family fishing, quad biking and camping, and it was rare he went anywhere without a family member.
“He was the best son, brother, cousin, nephew, uncle, grandson and friend you could ever hope for and was fiercely loyal to us all.
“He was loved and adored by everyone who was lucky enough to meet him and spend time with him and our lives were so much richer for having him in it
“Our world is shattered and irreparable: it will never be the same again.
“We pray that anyone with even the smallest piece of information will come forward.
“Please don’t feel anything is insignificant and let the police be the judge of that.
“We need to find who is responsible so please share any information you have with the police.”
In an update back in July, Mark Baker, head of the investigation at Merseyside Police, said called the incident “appalling and tragic” incident in which a young man has lost his life”.
He then made an impassioned plea for information to help stop further gun crime in the area.
He said: “It is essential that people with information, no matter how small, to please contact us as it might be vital to the investigation.
“Gun violence has taken too many young lives here in Merseyside.
“While the last 12 months saw the lowest number of firearms discharges in more than two decades, our efforts to take weapons off the streets and put those thoughtless enough to use them in jail will never stop.
“Every day our officers are carrying out warrants, open land searches and stop and searches to remove guns and other weapons from our streets.
“We target all available resources in the right areas to remove weapons and those who use them and work daily alongside our partners and in communities affected by gun crime.
“Incidents such as this are a tragic reminder of why we must continue with that work – gun crime can tear families apart and ruin many more lives than the victim alone.”
Bar owner Craig Morris, who helped to raise money for the family back in July, added that the teenager had simply been “in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
He added: “No parent or family should be going through this.”