Liverpool Shotgun Attack Exposes Crisis in Civic Safety
On the evening of 28 February last year, David Forbes, an entirely innocent man, was shot in both legs with a shotgun by Daniel Lawless in Croxteth, Liverpool. The attack, driven by gang retaliation and mistaken identity, underscores a profound crisis in civic safety and the devastating consequences of firearms proliferation on British streets.
How did a routine trip to the chip shop end in a shotgun attack?
David Forbes had left his home to collect food for his family, walking towards a local chip shop. As he crossed Cubert Road, he encountered a masked individual dressed entirely in black. The assailant, 23-year-old Daniel Lawless, dropped a white plastic bag and ran towards Mr. Forbes. After mumbling something indistinct, Lawless aimed a shotgun at the victim and discharged the weapon. Mr. Forbes recalled a bang and a flash before collapsing, later dragging himself back to his property while crying out that he had been shot.
The prosecution, led by Simon Christie at Liverpool Crown Court, confirmed that Mr. Forbes has no connection whatsoever to Lawless or his associates. This was a deliberate shooting of a wholly innocent person, a case of mistaken identity born out of petty, tit-for-tat retaliation between opposing gangs.
The devastating toll of mistaken identity on an innocent family
The physical and psychological ramifications of this unprovoked attack are staggering. Mr. Forbes suffered severe injuries to his lower legs, necessitating a two-week hospital stay, followed by a four-week readmission due to blood clots. He has undergone numerous operations and skin grafts, and he continues to live with hundreds of shotgun pellets lodged in his legs.
Unable to attend the sentencing hearing due to ongoing medical treatment, Mr. Forbes provided a poignant statement that was read to the court.