Vulnerable man too scared to go home after gun attack
Nine shots fired at house in ‘appalling’ incident
A MAN whose home was shot at nine times is too afraid to return to the property.
The house on Rossdowney Drive, in the Waterside area of Londonderry, was attacked shortly after 11pm on Tuesday.
The man who lives there, who has been described as “very vulnerable”, was not inside at the time of the shooting.
He said he did not want to live there anymore and was hoping to be rehoused elsewhere in the same area.
Ulster Unionist councillor Darren Guy said he knew the man well and hit out at the people behind the attack.
“I have been working with the man who lives in this house for a long time. He is very vulnerable and need helps with his problems,” Mr Guy explained.
“How anyone could think that firing a gun at his home nine times would resolve his issues... it shows a lack of humanity.
“Thankfully, he wasn’t at home. Even so, he was badly traumatised by this attack and no longer wants to live there.
“This is a man who is wellknown in the Waterside. He has lived in the Waterside all his life, although he has only been in this house for around a year.
“People know him and know how vulnerable he is. A lot of people look out for him and try to do what they can to help him, which is in stark contrast to those behind this attack.”
Neighbours in t he Rossdowney Drive area were equally scathing about the attack.
A woman who did not wish to be identified said: “The man who lives in that house is his own worst enemy, but for all his problems, he didn’t deserve to have gunmen turning up at his door.
“I am glad he wasn’t in at the time because that would have been a terrible ordeal for him.
“If firing bullets at the house of someone with a drink problem is the way these people think, then God help us all.”
Foyle MLA Gary Middleton also hit out at the culprits.
“While the man who lives at the house was not home, this was nonetheless a terrifying experience for him and his neighbours, who were at home,” he said.
“We know all too well in this city the deadly effects of firing guns indiscriminately in a residential area, so we can only be grateful no one was hurt here.
“Having spoken to people living in Rossdowney Drive, it is my understanding that some saw people running off after the shooting happened.
“I would appeal to anyone who might have any information to contact the police.”
Detective Sergeant Gavin Mclaughlin, who is investigating the incident, described it as “utterly appalling”
He said: “Thankfully, no one was in the house at the time of this violent attack, which can only be described as completely reckless.
“It is fortunate that we are not dealing with a very different outcome.
“Someone could have been seriously injured or worse.
“The very fact the gunman thought it was acceptable to recklessly shoot in a built-up area shows the contempt they have for people in their community.
“The b ul l e t s c o ul d have strayed at any moment and hit someone passing by, or struck another property.
“This is utterly appalling and needs to stop.”
‘Someone could have been seriously injured or worse’