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Banbridge: Man in critical condition after car park shooting

BBC Scene of the shooting on the Rathfriland Road in BanbridgeBBC
A man was shot in a car park in Banbridge on Friday night, police say

A man is in a critical but stable condition in hospital after he was shot in the abdomen by a masked man in Banbridge, County Down.

Police said the man, who is in his 40s, was shot in a car park on the Rathfriland Road on Friday night.

The shooting was reported to police shortly after 20:00 BST.

A 46-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and conspiracy of murder. He was later released on bail.

'New evidence'

Earlier, police said that a silver Citroen vehicle was driven away from the scene southbound on the A1 dual carriageway after the shooting.

But on Saturday afternoon they issued a correction, saying: "Due to new evidence, we now believe the suspect made off from the scene in a silver-coloured Peugeot vehicle, rather than a Citroen car, as previously reported."

They said they are investigating a possible link to a silver Peugeot that was found burnt out a short time later in the Drone Hill Road area of Corbet.

Police forensic team at the scene on the Rathfriland Road
A forensic team at the scene of the shooting on the Rathfriland Road on Saturday

The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service said it received a call to attend the Tullyear Close area of Banbridge shortly after 20:05.

After initial treatment at the scene one person was taken by ambulance to Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital.

Earlier, broken glass was visible beside a taxi parked inside the Rathfriland Road park-and-ride car park.

Banbridge community 'shocked'

The MP for Upper Bann, Carla Lockhart, appealed for anyone with any information about the shooting to contact the police.

"It's very important that we give time and space for investigations to continue," she added.

Alliance Upper Bann MLA Eoin Tennyson said people in the town had been "shocked" and that those behind the gun attack did not represent the local community.

"I utterly condemn this sickening attack, as will any right-thinking individual," Mr Tennyson said.

"There is no place for guns on our streets and the culprits need taken off our streets."

Sinn Féin councillor Kevin Savage said also condemned the shooting and said "those responsible need to desist"."Anyone with information on this attack should bring it forward to the PSNI," he added.

The PSNI has appealed to witnesses to contact them, saying they would especially like to hear from anyone who may have any CCTV, dash-cam or mobile footage.