Machete-wielding man injures two during community festival after suffering gunshot wound
TWO young woman escaped serious injury on Saturday night after being attacked outside a rave in north Belfast by a bare-chested machete-wielding man who had been shot just minutes earlier.
The women, understood to be in their 20s, were injured by the attacker shortly after 10.30pm as they enjoyed the Ardoyne and Marrowbone Community Festival dance event.
SDLP councillor Paul McCusker, a member of the festival committee, witnessed the mayhem after he rushing outside the venue at Holy Cross Boys’ Primary School following the sound of gunfire.
“All of a sudden this man appeared with a machete and he was swinging it all over the place,” he said.
“It was shocking, this is a weapon which we know is capable of cutting people’s heads off.
“People were squealing in terror because he was completely out of control. The police were told: ‘Get here quick, he’s going to kill someone’.”
He said one woman, who required treatment for a laceration on her leg, was told that the blade missed a major artery by a centimetre.
“We are lucky that no one was killed,” he added.
It is understood the other young woman sustained cuts to her arm before local community workers disarmed the attacker.
He is belived to have later presented himself at the Mater Hospital.
“That’s when we found out that he’d been shot,” Mr McCusker said.
“This person wasn’t attending the event, but unfortunately it happened on the periphery.”
A large police presence remained in the area until early yesterday and a PSNI Land Rover was stationed outside the hospital where the man was treated for a gunshot wound to his calf. He also sustained bruising to his face.
Detective Sergeant Danielle Moffett described the circumstances surrounding the shooting as a “particularly concerning
example of how criminal groups seek to control communities through fear and violence”.
When asked if police could confirm the victim of the shooting was the same man behind the machete attack, the PSNI said “enquiries are ongoing”.
In a separate incident, another male who had been thrown out of the music event later returned with two knives, which were confiscated.
It is the first time that a dance event has been included in the line-up of the 10-day festival, which received funding from The Executive Office’s Urban Villages initiative.
“The entire community is angry,” Mr McCusker said.
“The committee met with residents who had expressed concern about hosting a club night, and an agreement was reached.
“Now it has been thrown back
in our faces it is unlikely this particular event will be hosted again. It is sad that certain individuals have ruined it for everyone.”
The committee said no public money was used for the dance event, which was organised by local DJs and only facilitated by festival organisers.
The committee also expressed “disgust and disappointment” that those bent on causing trouble had tarnished the ArdBoneF- est, which concluded last night. It said: “Those involved in these incidents do not represent anyone and must be held accountable for their actions.”
The committee is to review how events are delivered in the future.
Sinn Fein councillor Ryan Murphy condemned the attacks, which could have had “disastrous consequences”, and urged anyone with information to contact police.