Takeaway driver feared he would be killed in shooting
THE takeaway delivery driver at the centre of a shocking shooting incident caught on camera in Strabane on Sunday says he thought he was going to be killed.
The man, aged 32, who did not wish to be identified, told the Belfast Telegraph yesterday that he has been left traumatised after a lone masked gunman walked up to him in the town’s Ballycolman estate shortly after 9.30pm and started firing a pistol at his legs.
The shots missed the Masala Restaurant delivery driver and he escaped uninjured in the incident, however, he says that he is still in shock over what happened.
“I was delivering food to a house in the Ballycolman on Sunday night,” he said.
“No one answered the door to the house, I think it was a prank call. I walked back down the path to get back into the van and a masked man approached me and just started firing a weapon.
“He fired at my lower legs. I jumped back and tried to get back into the garden of the house. I was shouting at him, asking him what he was he doing. I don’t know where the bullets hit.
“I think my body just went into shock and shut down because after that, I don’t really remember anything. I have no memory of getting back into the van or later that night. I haven’t been able to watch the CCTV footage. I started to watch it, but had to switch it off when the gunman appeared.
“I am so traumatised by this. I am still in shock. I haven’t been able to sleep. I’m living on edge, constantly looking over my shoulder. I haven’t been out delivering again, I don’t know what to do, it’s awful.”
The driver says he has no idea why he was targeted in such a way.
“I have no idea why this happened,” he said.
“It was completely random and out of the blue. Even talking about it now makes me feel nervous. It will take me a good while to get over this. I am just a guy doing a decent day’s work, trying to bring in some money at the end of the week. I never in a million years expected this to happen.
“I dread to think what would have happened if any of the bullets would have hit me. I could have been killed.”
The PSNI say they are appealing for witnesses to the incident to come forward on 101.
“Police are aware of footage posted online, however, the incident itself was not reported,” a spokesman said.