18 year old shot in Creggan
Vigilante group RAAD have been blamed for the shooting of an 18-year-old man in Creggan last night.
The man was shot close in both legs shortly after 9pm last night. He was taken to Altnagelvin Hospital but was later discharged after receiving treatment.
The shooting comes in the wake of a death threat being issued to local businessman Raymond Coyle earlier this week, and took place in advance of a rally organised on Saturday by the ‘RAAD Not in Our Name’ group.
Condemning both last night’s shooting and the threats made against Mr Coyle, G District Commander, Chief Superintendent, Stephen Martin said: “This is being carried out by a criminal gang who set themselves up unlawfully as judge, jury and administers of summary punishment.
“They have brutalised members of their community and inflicted terrible injuries, much of those on young people over the last number of years.
“We have seen how they have carried out assaults and attacks on those who have raised their voice against them. This year we have seen their thirst for power go further when they claimed responsibility for murder.
“They seek to intimidate and bully through the threat of violence and its time they listened to the community, stop what they are doing and disband.
“I would appeal to everyone to support and work with the PSNI, to give us the assistance we need to catch those responsible.”
The shooting was also condemned by SDLP MLA Pat Ramsey, who said: “I am disgusted that violence is continually being used against the people of this City, no-one has the right to bring violence into the community, the person or people that have carried out this attack have no place amongst the peace-loving people of Derry, they are not welcome and anyone who has information about this attack should contact the local PSNI at Strand Road.
“These attacks are fundamentally wrong and they do nothing but interrupt the lives of those involved, their families and their neighbours. I would call on those involved in this callous attack to cease their vendetta against the people of this City.”
