Northern Ireland

Victim of west Belfast paramilitary-style attack 'was found by children'

Police at the scene of a shooting of a 56-year-old man in Poleglass in west Belfast. Picture by Cliff Donaldson 
Police at the scene of a shooting of a 56-year-old man in Poleglass in west Belfast. Picture by Cliff Donaldson  Police at the scene of a shooting of a 56-year-old man in Poleglass in west Belfast. Picture by Cliff Donaldson 

A 56-year-old man who was shot in a paramilitary-style attack in west Belfast was discovered by a group of children, according to a councillor.

The man was shot several times in the leg in Glenwood Drive in Poleglass at around 7.45pm on Sunday.

It is understood the victim is originally from north Belfast.

Police described the attack as a “paramilitary-style shooting".

The injured man was taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital where he was described this morning as being in a stable condition.

Sinn Féin councillor Stephen Magennis was on the scene shortly after the shooting.

He said a group of local children were among the first to find the wounded man.

“When I spoke to residents up there they were disgusted and saying that’s not what they want their child to find,” he said.

“The message was clear there was no support for it.”

The Sinn Féin man said “guns should not be brought out on the streets” and suggested there are “enough agencies to resolve disputes.”

“Shooting does not solve the issue, the issue will still be there,” he said.

The councillor said that due to the work on the ground there had been a decrease in the number of paramilitary shootings in the area in recent months.