A man has been arrested following a major incident across north Liverpool.
Police locked down the Showcase Cinema on Wednesday after a man entered the complex with a gun and threatened two staff members before leaving.
A number of shots were fired in the air as the man escaped by car.
No one was injured in the incident and no damage was caused. At the time, the majority of people inside the complex were watching film screenings.
Earlier, officers had been called to the News and Booze store on Lower House Lane following reports a man had entered the shop at around 8pm with a gun.
He threatened the store assistant and demanded cash before firing the gun and leaving the store empty handed. The assistant was not injured but extremely distressed by the ordeal. No damage was caused to the shop.
Following the incident at the Showcase, police were alerted to gunfire at a property on Malpas Road around 10.20pm but no injuries were reported.
Armed response officers later detained a 49-year-old man at 4.46am on Thursday when warrants were carried out at a property in Fazakerley.
A taser was deployed after the man, who was arrested on suspicion of possession of a Section 1 firearm with intent to endanger life and robbery, became aggressive.
He has been taken to a police station in Merseyside where he remains in custody. Stonedale retail park and all shops within the area will remain closed whilst officers continue their investigations.
Assistant Chief Constable Jenn Wilson said: “This is the first time we have had to deal with an incident of this nature on the streets of Merseyside.
“The shocking and distressing impact these incidents will have had on the shop assistant, the staff at the Showcase Cinema and those filmgoers who found themselves in a lockdown situation in the complex after shots were fired outside the cinema and the residents of Malpas Road cannot be underestimated.
“Officers were on the ground immediately following the first incident and were able to respond swiftly to the subsequent discharges, and a male was identified. located and arrested on suspicion of all three discharges within 13 hours.
“High visibility patrols will remain in the area to reassure members of the local community.
“Firearms have no place on our streets and we are committed to arresting those involved in gun crime and taking firearms off our streets.
“Information from our community is vital if we are to stop people carrying out such attacks in Merseyside that causes such violence on our streets.”
Anyone with footage or information is asked to DM @MerPol or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 quoting log 928 of Wednesday 3 January.