27/02/23

New IRA admits shooting top police officer John Caldwell

The New IRA has admitted it shot Det Ch Insp John Caldwell in Omagh on Wednesday.

It did so in a typed statement which appeared in Londonderry on Sunday night.

The police's main line of inquiry was that the republic dissident group, the New IRA, was behind the attack.

Two gunmen shot the 48-year-old several times in front of his young son at a sports complex. Mr Caldwell remains critically ill in hospital.

Six people remain in police custody for questioning. The youngest is 22 and the oldest is aged 71.

Dissident republicans oppose the 1998 Good Friday Agreement peace deal and continue to use violence to attempt to unite Northern Ireland with the Republic of Ireland.

Det Ch Insp Caldwell is one of the Police Service of Northern Ireland's best known detectives, often fronting press conferences on major inquiries during his 26-year career.

He had coached a Beragh Swifts training session at Youth Sport Omagh when the gunmen approached and shot him at about 20:00 GMT on Wednesday.

Children ran in terror when the shots rang out in the car park of the sports complex.

At least two other vehicles were struck by their volley of shots.

Police believe the gunmen fled the scene on foot before making off in a small, dark car, which was found burnt out at Racolpa Road, outside Omagh.