Man shot four times in Coleraine gang attack

A man had a hood placed over his head and was forced into a car before being driven away and shot four times in an attack by a masked gang in Coleraine, Co Derry.

Police have condemned the incident on Saturday night, in which the victim, who is in his 30s, was left with serious leg injuries, as a “human rights abuse” and said they are investigating a number of lines of inquiry.

SDLP assembly member Cara Hunter said it was a “shocking incident” that has shaken the local community.

“This sinister attack has left a man in hospital with significant injuries and has caused fear in the area. The presence of masked men on our streets is deeply concerning, as is the use of a firearm in this attack,” she said. “Nobody in our communities should have to live their lives worried about events like this taking place. This kind of criminal activity is a scourge on the area and people in Coleraine want to live in peace.”

In a separate incident in Co Down, a man sustained serious injuries in an attack by masked men who also fired shots through the front door of a house in Newtownards on Saturday night.

PA