Dissident republican group the New IRA is the primary focus of detectives investigating the shooting of an off-duty police detective in Northern Ireland, the force has said.
Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell was shot in front of his son by masked men in Omagh, Co Tyrone, on Wednesday night. He was hit a number of times and tried to escape the gunmen as he was targeted while putting footballs in the boot of his car at a sports facility.
He is still fighting for life after he was taken to Altnagelvin Hospital in Londonderry.
Three men have now been arrested in Omagh and Coalisland, County Tyrone, in connection with the attempted murder, the Police Service of Northern Ireland has confirmed.
Chief Constable Simon Byrne said: “This morning we have arrested three men aged 38, 45, and 47, in Omagh and Coalisland in connection with John’s attempted murder. They’re currently being questioned by detectives at Musgrave serious crime suite.”
Assistant chief constable Mark McEwan expressed “shock and outrage at this disgusting attack” in front of parents and children.
“John has ran a short distance and he’s fallen to the ground, and as he’s on the ground the gunmen have continued to fire at him,” he said.
“That shows the absolute callous nature of this attack in a crowded space where there are children and parents in the vicinity, and we saw many of those young people and children running in sheer terror to get to safety.”
Mr McEwan said Mr Caldwell was a “highly respected” and “dedicated” colleague.
“John is someone who dedicated himself to service, both as an SIO (senior investigative officer) in supporting victims and families in bringing others to justice and as an active member of the community, as has been described this morning,” he added.
He said the investigation was at an early stage and police believed the gunmen made off in a small dark car, which was later found burned out just outside Omagh.
Asked on BBC Radio Ulster if there were concerns for the wider security and safety of police officers, he replied: “On an ongoing basis, we see these elements continually trying to carry out attacks of this nature.
“We are supporting our officers and staff. We continually review our security arrangements and advise our officers on security arrangements and that’s on an ongoing basis.
“The threat level at the moment sits at substantial and that means an attack is highly likely.
“That is an ongoing piece of work in terms of supporting our officers and staff and looking at security arrangements.”
The principal of Omagh High School, whose students witnessed the shooting, said violence must be “pushed away from our community”.
“I can only imagine how difficult it must be for the youngsters this morning, waking up in the aftershock of what they experienced last night,” Christos Gaitatzis told BBC Radio Ulster.
“I feel that those people affected here last night were my children, were my family. We really need to get together as a community in order to make sure that these types of instances, that contain violence in the most heinous way I can describe, have to be pushed away from our community.”
The New IRA was previously blamed for the killing of journalist Lyra McKee in Londonderry in 2019.
Last November, the group was thought to be behind the attempted murder of two police officers in a bomb attack in Strabane, Co Tyrone.
Omagh has seen significant dissident violence in the past, including a Real IRA bomb attack in 1998 which killed 29 people, including a woman pregnant with twins.
It was also where Constable Ronan Kerr was murdered in April 2011.
The terrorism threat level in Northern Ireland was lowered from severe to substantial for the first time in 12 years last March.
The shooting of Mr Caldwell has been condemned by politicians across the UK and Ireland.
Prime minister Rishi Sunak said he was appalled by the “disgraceful shooting”, while Irish premier Leo Varadkar condemned the "grotesque act of attempted murder".
Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald said the shooting was "diabolical and unacceptable", and added there was no excuse or political rationale for it.
She told Irish broadcaster RTE: "There can be no hiding place for this. There can be no sympathy for this. There is no rhyme or reason politically speaking for a vicious act of thuggery like this.
"Now what we need is an all-Ireland effort co-operation between An Garda Siochana and the PSNI to find the motive for this act, and more importantly to apprehend the perpetrators and anybody with any evidence or any information must not hesitate in bringing that forward immediately to the appropriate authorities."
‘Outraged and sickened’
Sinn Fein vice president Michelle O'Neill, DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, Alliance leader Naomi Long, UUP leader Doug Beattie and SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said they stand united in outright condemnation of the attack.
“We speak for the overwhelming majority of people right across our community who are outraged and sickened by this reprehensible and callous attempted murder,” the statement said.
“The community of Omagh has endured profound suffering, loss, and pain in the past which has left a deep trauma, and so this act of violence has left people there rightly angered.
“There is absolutely no tolerance for such attacks by the enemies of our peace.
“Those responsible must be brought to justice.
“This will require the full co-operation of the public whom we call upon to assist police in this attempted murder investigation.
“Together we stand with John's family and his colleagues in the police service at this time.”
