Shot Man 'Struggled' With Assailants

A man is recovering in hospital today after he was shot multiple times at his home.

The 25-year-old victim was rushed to hospital after he was shot five times by a gang on the outskirts of Belfast.

The injured man sustained gunshot wounds to his calves, shoulder, thigh and hand in the shooting and was taken to hospital by ambulance.

It happened shortly before 10.45pm on Tuesday when the man opened the door of his flat in the Summerville Drive area of Dunmurry.

He was confronted by three masked men and struggled with the intruders, one of whom was armed with a handgun.

However, he was pushed to the ground and shot repeatedly.

The victim is said to be in a stable condition.

Meanwhile, the PSNI report that they arrested one man in Cherry Road, Dunmurry, shortly after the attack and later, on Wednesday, revealed that a woman was also in custody.

Both have been taken to Antrim Serious Crime Suite for questioning.

Two SDLP Councillors in the area have condemned the shooting and warned that gunmen must not be allowed to "get a grip on communities under pressure from crime and anti-social behaviour".

Cllr Matthew McDermott said: "This was an absolutely barbaric attack in which the young man was shot five times.

"Unfortunately, we have to face the fact that there is a degree of tolerance for this sort of barbarity in certain communities which are hard pressed by various kinds of crime and anti-social behaviour.

"It is vital that all community and political representatives go further than ritual condemnations," he said, noting that such "attacks are not only wrong, they don’t work, don't solve problems and in fact create new problems".

"We have to take a firm stand with the PSNI and the rule of law, because the ultimate aim of these attacks is not prevention of crime, but community control," he continued.

Meanwhile, his SDLP colleague, Cllr Brian Heading said the degree of community tolerance is not high but it must be tackled head-on "to get the gunmen off the backs of the community".

"We really all need to make clear that attacks are wrong and were always wrong," he said.

(BMcC/KMcA)