A 29-YEAR-OLD MAN suffered gunshot wounds to both legs after he was attacked by a gang in Strabane, police said yesterday.
The victim, a taxi driver, had called to collect a fare in the Glebe Gardens area of the Co Tyrone town at 11pm on Saturday.
He was dragged from his vehicle by a number of men to a grassy area, where he was beaten and shot once in the left thigh.
Officers said it is believed the man attempted to escape and was shot again in the right leg. He is being treated in hospital where his condition is described as stable.
The gang drove off in the man’s car, a dark-coloured seven-seater, which was later located on the Orchard Road. The scene was closed to traffic while the taxi was examined. Police appealed for anyone with information about the shooting or the vehicle to contact detectives in Strabane.
SDLP Strabane Councillor Eugene McMenamin condemned the shooting.
“It is essential that the community co-operate with the police if we are to eradicate this type of activity in our town and live in peace.”
West Tyrone Sinn Féin MP Pat Doherty also condemned the shooting, saying people would “want to see an immediate end to such brutal actions”. – (PA)