A heartbroken family has to endure "another milestone" without justice after "a young man with his whole life ahead of him" was gunned down.
Dad-to-be Sam Rimmer was standing with a group of friends on Lavrock Bank, Dingle, when two electric bikes drove into the cul-de-sac and fired a number of shots towards the group at around 11.40pm on Tuesday, August 16 2022. Sam, 22, was hit by the barrage of bullets and despite the best efforts of Merseyside Police officers and North West Ambulance Service staff he died of his injuries a short time later in hospital.
Ten people have been arrested in relation to his murder as part of an extensive investigation, but to this day no one has been charged. Today (January 6) marks what would have been Sam's 24th birthday and Merseyside Police have re-appealed for anyone with information about his murder to come forward.
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Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Steve McGrath, said: "Every birthday is another milestone Sam’s family are forced to endure. This was a young man with his whole life ahead of him. It is vital that anyone who hasn’t already come forward to speak to us does so as a matter of urgency.
"Sam’s family deserves to get the answers and to see someone brought to justice. We believe there are people living in Dingle, Toxteth and the surrounding area who hold vital information that will help us find anyone responsible for Sam’s death.
"We will review any new information you share with us so please contact us immediately if you have anything that could help us bring justice for Sam and his family."
The ECHO revealed in August, on the one year anniversary of Sam's murder, that the gun thugs who carried out the callous attack spent two hours driving around Dingle on electric bikes looking for members of a rival gang. Sam, who was from Bootle, was visiting friends in the area and is not believed to have been the intended target of the shooters.
DCI McGrath previously revealed:
- The gunmen are believed to have opened fire from some distance away, around 25 metres.
- The bikes identified as carrying the four suspects were recorded on CCTV riding around Dingle for up to two hours before the shooting.
- Sam and his friends are believed to have been lured out of a house on Lavrock Bank by a noise, possibly engines revving or the sound of horns.
- Police know the identities of two groups of street level criminals believed to have been in a dispute with each other.
- The killers are believed to have entered an address in the Woolton area after the shooting having travelled there from Dingle on the two bikes.
The ECHO also revisited the quiet cul-de-sac where Sam was shot and heard how residents picked up the pieces following the devastating shooting. One man reported seeing men dressed in a "menacing black uniform" on bikes just hours before the shooting.
The bullets that killed Sam were fired from a Skorpion machine pistol – the same weapon that caused devastation in other parts of Merseyside when it was used to kill Elle Edwards and Ashley Dale. The ECHO also exclusively revealed there was a previous shooting on Lavrock Bank months before Sam's murder, which was previously unreported. A new camera was installed on the street by police following the shootings to reassure residents.
Speaking on the anniversary of Sam's 23rd birthday last year, his mum said: "Sam loved his birthday and the day was a special family occasion as he shared his birthday with me, his mum. Every birthday Sam would say ‘happy birthday Mumzy’ and it breaks my heart to know I will never hear those words again.
"Sam was funny, caring and loyal. He was the life and soul of every party and his laugh was infectious. His birthday is an unbearable reminder that Sam was cruelly stolen from us and we will never hear him laugh again. Sam was due to be a father and he was so excited about having a baby boy.
"It brings the family comfort that a part of Sam will live on, however, the devastating reality is baby Sam will never feel his dads’ arms around him or know how it feels to hear his dad’s laughter. Sam’s death has broken our family and we will never recover. He made an impact on anyone he met. If you knew Sam, you loved him.
"Sam, we love and miss you so much. Fly high and watch over your son and us all. We will not rest until justice is served. Love always your devastated and broken-hearted family."
Anyone who witnessed the incident, was in the area at the time, or has any information is urged to contact us by clicking on the Merseyside Police badge on the following link: Public Portal (mipp.police.uk) You can also contact us via our social media desk @MerPolCC on Twitter, or alternatively leave information anonymously and for free with Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, with reference number 22000603397. You can also use their online form anonymously: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/give-information-online
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