RHYS Jones was just 11 years old when he was ruthlessly gunned down in 2007.
A Channel 5 documentary has explored his tragic death in-depth, offering an all-access pass to his loved ones as part of their What Happens Next series.
What does Rhys Jones: What Happened Next cover?
The show delves into the legal and personal ramifications of Rhys Jones’ death.
Rhys Jones: What Happened Next speaks to friends, police involved in the case, and key politicians who dealt with the fallout from the tragedy.
The documentary provides perspectives on the story that shocked Britain — the killing of an innocent child caught in the crossfire of a city’s gang culture.
Former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith reflects on her regret over the incident, saying, “In one way, I wish that the good work we did on the Tackling Gangs Action Programme had started earlier.
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“I became Home Secretary in June. Perhaps if I’d started it that first day, something might have happened to save Rhys’s life.
“I can never know if that’s the case, but I hope I honoured Rhys and his family by putting a real focus on tackling that sort of violence after his death.”
The documentary also discusses eyewitness accounts from those first on the scene after the shooting and the final moments of the child’s life.
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What happened to Rhys Jones?
Rhys Jones was an 11-year-old schoolboy from Liverpool who was tragically killed just one month before his twelfth birthday.
The Everton FC fan was senselessly killed as he walked across a pub car park in Liverpool in August 2007.
He was heading home alone after football practice at 7:30 p.m. in broad daylight when a hooded youth cycled by and fired three shots from a handgun.
One struck Rhys in the back and his mum rushed to the scene when she heard what had happened.
Paramedics tried for over an hour and a half to save Rhys, but he was later pronounced dead at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.
Was anyone found guilty of the murder of Rhys Jones?
After months of investigations and arrests, 18-year-old Sean Mercer – a member of the Croxteth Crew gang – was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment, serving a minimum of 22 years.
Fellow gang members, including James Yates, Nathan Quinn, Melvin Coy, Dean Kelly and Gary Kays were also convicted of assisting an offender.
As Rhys lay dying Yates helped Mercer dispose of his bike, clothes and the gun he had provided him with just before the shooting.
How to watch The Murder Of Rhys Jones: What Happened Next?
The Murder of Rhys Jones: What Happened Next is available to watch on Channel 5 on May 30.
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Once the episode has aired, it will become available to watch on My5.
It is not yet known if it will be repeated on the channel at a later date.