Police say missing gun is key to finding killer of man shot dead in Liverpool street
Detective Chief Inspector Steve McGrath from Merseyside Police says measures are in place to give witnesses protection
A family is still waiting for justice two years after a dad-to-be was shot dead on a street.
Sam Rimmer was with a group of friends on Lavrock Grove in the Dingle area of Liverpool when two e-bikes drove into the cul-de-sac.
The riders fired a number of shots towards the group, injuring Sam, at 11:40pm on Tuesday 16 August 2022.
Despite the best efforts of officers and ambulance staff the 22-year-old died a short while later in hospital.
Sam's murder marked the of one of the darkest weeks for gun crime on Liverpool's streets, which saw Ashley Dale, 28, shot dead at her home in Old Swan and nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel killed by a man who opened fire after chasing a drug dealer into her home in Dovecot.
The gun which killed Sam was a Skorpion sub-machine gun, the same type of gun which killed Ashley Dale.
The killers of Ashley Dale and Olivia Pratt-Korbel have been convicted and jailed, but for Sam, no justice as yet.
So far 10 people have been arrested in relation to his murder, and are all currently out on bail.
Sam's family released footage of him, taken at Christmas 2022, two years before he was killed
Sam's mum has said previously: "My family and I are broken and torn apart by grief. We are unable to move forward in rebuilding our lives without justice for Sam.
"I appeal to anyone who has information that will lead to the conviction of Sam's murderers.
"You cannot take a life and escape punishment. These people need to pay for mercilessly taking Sam's life.
"They will lose their freedom but their mothers will still be able to see, speak to and hold their sons. I will never see my son, hear his voice or feel his arms hugging me again.
"As long as there is breath in my lungs, I will continue to fight this fight until justice prevails."
Police have always maintained Sam was not involved in any criminality, and say he was in the "wrong place and the wrong time".
Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector from Merseyside Police, Steve McGrath, said: "Two years have passed since Sam’s murder and his family have not had the answers they deserve.
"Sam’s death has had a devastating impact on his family, and in particular his mum, and they deserve to get justice.
"As part of our investigation we have made a number of arrests and received a lot of information from the public. We just need the final piece of the puzzle.
"We know that there are people out there who live in the Dingle/Toxteth area who know who is responsible and my appeal is for those people to come forward and tell us what they know."
Merseyside Police issued CCTV footage of the e-bikes involved in Sam's murder
DCI McGrath continued: "Do you know who was riding on the bikes that arrived in Lavrock Bank that night? Do you know where they went afterwards or where they are being stored?
"Any information passed on to us will be handled with care and sensitivity, and we can put extensive measures in place to protect those brave enough to come forward.
"Anyone who witnessed the incident, was in the area at the time, or has any information is urged to contact us via the following link: Public Portal (mipp.police.uk).
People can also contact Merseyside Police's social media desk @MerPolCC on X or alternatively leave information anonymously with Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, with reference number 22000603397.