Omagh police shooting: Two arrested over John Caldwell attackon March 1, 2023 at 3:58 pm

- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -

The men, 33 and 57, were arrested in Omagh and Belfast in connection with last week’s attack in Omagh.

John CaldwellImage source, Pacemaker

Police investigating the attempted murder of Det Ch Insp John Caldwell last week have arrested two men.

A 33-year-old man was arrested in Omagh and a 57-year-old man was detained in Belfast, both under the Terrorism Act.

They have been taken to Musgrave Serious Crime Suite for questioning.

Mr Caldwell remains in a critical but stable condition following the shooting in the car park of a sports complex in Omagh on 22 February.

Two men, aged 47 and 71, also arrested in connection with the attempted murder remain in custody.

Officers have been granted extra time to question them.

Four other men were released on Tuesday evening.

The dissident republican group the New IRA has admitted the shooting in the County Tyrone town as Mr Caldwell attended a youth sports event.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) have said two gunmen fired 10 shots at the officer as he was putting footballs into the boot of his car.

His son was among children present at the time and at least two other vehicles were hit by bullets, police said.

CCTV footage

On Monday, police released CCTV footage of the car believed to be used by the gunmen.

A blue Ford Fiesta had been bought in Ballyclare two weeks prior to the attack and stored in Belfast, where its plates were changed.

It was then spotted on the M1 driving towards the Coalisland and Omagh direction, the day before the shooting.

Blue Ford Fiesta

Image source, PSNI

The car was later found burnt out on the Racolpa Road outside Omagh.

A reward of up to £20,000 is also being offered by the Crimestoppers charity.

The New IRA claimed responsibility in a typed statement that was taped to a wall beside shops in the Creggan estate on Sunday night.

A forensic team was at the scene on Monday morning and removed it for further examination.

- Advertisement -

Discover

Sponsor

Latest

How to Find the Hot Shows of 2020

How to Find the Hot Shows of 2020Finding the hottest shows of 2020 is as easy as adding up the numbers. It may...

Vicky Bowman: UK ex-ambassador to Myanmar arrestedon August 25, 2022 at 10:39 am

Vicky Bowman, who runs a centre promoting business and human rights, is charged with breaking visa rules.Image source, Institute for Human Rights and BusinessThe...

Children in Need: Lewis Capaldi, Joe Wicks and Graham Norton to star in BBC fundraiseron November 18, 2022 at 12:44 am

Jason Manford, Mel Giedroyc, Alex Scott, Ade Adepitan and Chris Ramsey will host the charity show.Jason Manford, Mel Giedroyc, Alex Scott, Ade Adepitan and...

Covid-19: No data to suggest 21 June easing delay, says Kwasi Kwartengon May 28, 2021 at 7:14 am

The government will not rush to conclusions about lifting lockdown in England, Kwasi Kwarteng says.image copyrightReutersThere is currently no evidence that might mean a...

Elon Musk says Twitter will offer ‘amnesty’ to suspended accountson November 25, 2022 at 3:15 am

Several accounts - including Donald Trump's - have already been reinstated by the multi-billionaire.Image source, Getty ImagesBy Annabelle LiangBusiness reporterElon Musk says Twitter...