Two men shot in Northern Ireland violence outbreak

By TRISTAN STEWART-ROBERTSON
Published on 16/02/2013 01:01

TWO men were taken to hospital in Northern Ireland on Friday night following a reported shooting, police said.

The incident in the Oldpark Road area of North Belfast was reported to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) at about 7:30pm.

A PSNI spokesman said: “The extent of their injuries are not known at this time. There are no further details at present.”

A spokeswoman for the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast said one of the victims was in the operating theatre. The other man was being assessed in the emergency department.

Politicians were quick to condemn the shooting. Nationalist SDLP councillor Nichola Mallon said she was repulsed by the attack.

She said: “The spread of gunshots in a busy, built-up residential area in the early evening shows a reckless regard for people living here.

“This latest incident represents not just an attack on 
the two men who have been shot but also on the wider community.

“Those that resort to such cowardly and violent attacks have no place and serve no purpose for the people of North Belfast.

“We are seeing a worrying disregard for human life and an escalation of street violence which is totally unacceptable.”

Sinn Fein Stormont MLA Gerry Kelly said: “This is the second shooting in North Belfast within the last week and has to be condemned. There is no place for these gun gangs in our community and the people do not want them.

“This shooting damages the community and the people behind them need to stop.”

On Tuesday, an 18-year-old was shot in both legs in the 
Ardoyne area of north Belfast and was still being treated in hospital – in a stable condition – at last report.