Off-duty police officer shot by masked men in front of his son is named
An off-duty police officer shot in front of his son by two masked men in Northern Ireland has been named as detective chief inspector John Caldwell.
The identity of the policeman, who was shot in Omagh, County Tyrone, was revealed by assistant chief constable Mark McEwan on BBC Radio Ulster’s Good Morning Ulster programme.
Mark said: “The officer’s condition remains critical but stable.”
READ MORE: Police officer ‘shot multiple times in front of kids during football coaching’
He continued: “Last night at approximately 8 o’clock at the youth sports centre in Killyclogher Road, Omagh, whilst John was putting footballs into the boot of his car, and accompanied by his young son, two gunmen approached and we believe both have fired multiple shots.
(Image: PA)
The top cop from the Police Service of Northern Ireland said that John was shot by the attackers even when he had fallen to the ground.
“That shows the absolute callous nature of this attack in a crowded space where there are children and parents in the vicinity, and we saw many of those young people and children running in sheer terror to get to safety”, he added.
John is understood to be in Altnagelvin Area Hospital in Derry.
He is a high-profile officer who has led several major investigations, including taking a leading role in the murder probe following the killing of Natalie McNally in Lurgan, County Armagh, in December.
The top cop said that the dissident republican group the New IRA is the primary focus of detectives looking into the horrific shooting, after police announced last night they were opening an attempted murder investigation.
(Image: PA)
Mark added the investigation is at an early stage and that police believe the gunmen made off in a small dark car which was later found burned out just outside Omagh.
He said that the police are “closely engaged with and supporting the family”.
Chairman of the Police Federation Northern Ireland, Liam Kelly, separately said that the attempted murder of DCI Caldwell was “absolutely barbaric.”
The principal of Omagh High School, Christos Gaitatzis, whose students were at the scene of the horrific shooting, said that he had deep sympathy for the young people who had to witness the grisly scene: “I can only imagine how difficult it must be for the youngsters this morning, waking up in the aftershock of what they experienced last night”.
“(We have to) make sure that those individuals are caught and isolated out of our community to make sure that Omagh remains the town that it always has been – a town that is together, is coming together at all times, especially during difficult circumstances like this”, he added.
(Image: PA)
Figures from across Northern Ireland have denounced the shooting.
A tweet from Ulster Unionist Party MLA Tom Elliott read: “Terrible news of a police officer being shot in Omagh this evening. Shot in front of young people at football coaching session.
“Despicable, cowardly action. No place in society for this”.
Meanwhile, the leader of the centrist part Alliance, Naomi Long, tweeted: “Disturbing news of unfolding events in Omagh this evening. My thoughts and those of my Alliance Party colleagues are with the officer, his family, colleagues, and all those affected by this evil act of cowardice”.
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