Elle Edwards' father opens up on devastation caused by daughter's death after she was shot on Christmas Eve
The father of Elle Edwards has opened up about the terrible loss of his 26-year-old daughter after she was shot and killed on Christmas Eve.
Elle was out celebrating the festive season with friends at the Lighthouse pub in Wallasey Village, Wirral, when shots rang out through the crowd shortly before midnight on 24 December.
Four men were injured in the attack, but Elle's injuries were fatal and she passed away.
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With her funeral set to take place next week on 25 January, Elle's father, Tim Edwards, has opened up about his 'beautiful and caring' daughter and the impact of her loss.
"She's the type of person that would walk into the room and everyone would gravitate towards her because she was always smiling," he told Sky News.
"She was beautiful looking and she was a great hugger. She was just a fantastic human being with a heart of gold."
Elle was working as a beautician and a dental nurse at the time of her death, and her dad said the last month has been a 'struggle' as the family has tried to adjust to life without her.
"Time moves so quick," Tim said. "In our situation with the developments, Christmas Day didn't mean anything, that had gone. It didn't feel real and Christmas will never be the same. Christmas will never be a point of celebration for me, ever."
A 22-year-old man named Connor Chapman has been charged with the murder of Elle, with a trial date set for 7 June.
Even after her passing, Tim assured Elle is 'the glue that keeps [the family] together', and believes her death should not be in vain.
The father is hoping a foundation established in her name will bring systemic change around gun violence, pointing out there are 'no winners with gun crime'.
"If you pick up a gun, your future is over and everybody else's future around you is over. It's dead simple. It's absolutely pointless and it solves nothing," he said.
"I want to see a positive that comes out of this. Elle's name will be used for good in the future. She can't be forgotten."
Elle was 'just getting going' in life, her father said, but he relies now on memories of the pair walking in the Lake District and climbing mountains to help him cope with his grief.
"They just keep you going, they keep your mind flowing. The good memories spur you on, I can even hear her laugh. It's emotional and it's horrible, it really is horrible, but hopefully those memories will never fade," Tim said.
Hundreds of people are expected to attend Elle's funeral in the town where she grew up, and while her father acknowledged it's 'not going to be nice', he said it's 'part of the process and [is] something that has to be done'.
"And then we move on to the next thing and keep going. But she will always be here. She'll never leave me," he said.
"She'll live on forever."
Emily Brown