Armed police in riot gear cordoned off Kingsley Road in Toxteth on Sunday night, 21 June 2026, after reports of a man with a weapon. The police helicopter was seen flying low over the area, and the cordon between Ducie Street and Jermyn Street was in place from around 8.30pm to 9.45pm.
House Search and Previous Raid
After the cordon was lifted, police searched a house on Kingsley Road. A neighbour told the Liverpool Echo that the same house had been raided earlier that morning around 1.30am. Another local reported seeing multiple Matrix vans in the area at that time.
Earlier Incident on Carlingford Close
Earlier on Sunday, officers were spotted searching a house on Carlingford Close, off Selbourne Street. Two Matrix vans were in attendance when the Echo arrived around 7.15pm, and officers were seen entering and leaving the property. Neighbours said they were prevented from getting to their cars when officers arrived around 4pm. It is not yet known if the incidents are linked.
Recent Shooting in Toxteth
The police activity comes after a man was shot in a café on Lodge Lane on Friday evening, 19 June. Armed officers were called to Bala Bs Soul Food Kitchen at around 5pm following reports of a shooting. The road was closed between Bentley Road and Seacole Close.
A woman who works nearby told the Echo: "I didn't see anything, I was upstairs, but we heard three bangs and then all the police arrived." The victim, believed to be a man in his 20s, had been chased along the road and into the café before being shot. Police found several gun casings inside the café.
This shooting is the second in the area this month. One local man said: "It is ridiculous what is happening now. There is going to be retaliation for this, it's not safe. I've been here for 10 years and it's just getting worse."
The Echo attempted to contact Merseyside Police for comment on the incidents.
