While the terror threat level in Northern Ireland was recently reduced from 'severe' to 'substantial', the reality is that there remain too many people prepared to resort to guns and other weapons for their own purposes.
It is clearly a positive that we are seeing a reduction in the violent activities of dissident republicans and hopefully that will greatly decrease the risk to police and prison officers who have been targeted by these groups.
But we also know that these paramilitaries are determined to exert their malign influence over their own communities, ruthlessly and arbitrarily attacking individuals for reasons that bear no possible justification.
A particularly shocking example of this callous brutality was provided this week when a man sleeping in his own bed was shot in both legs by gunmen who pushed their way into his home.
Eoin Bradley (38) was attacked by two masked men while a third assailant kept his mother downstairs at their Kildrum Gardens home in the Creggan area of Derry.
Bernadette McFadden said the attack was a 'horrific case of mistaken identity'.
''They shouted out the wrong name and when I told them that they simply ignored me and shot my son in his bed,'' she said. ''Obviously they didn't know who they were shooting.''
It is beyond outrageous that in today's Northern Ireland, some people think they have the right to pick up guns, invade someone's home, shoot a man sleeping in bed and leave his mother traumatised.
Those who would try to defend these thugs and gangsters need to think long and hard about the actions they are supporting.
Unfortunately, paramilitary-style attacks have continued even as efforts have been made to build a more peaceful society.
Last year, there were 14 such shootings, more than half of which took place in Derry city and Strabane.
Shootings and beatings carried out at the behest of paramilitary groups are absolutely barbaric and can never be regarded as acceptable.
They should not be tolerated in our society or anywhere else.
Even though it is notoriously difficult to secure convictions in such cases, it is imperative that those who prey on their own community, cold-bloodedly deciding who should be shot, are brought to justice.
Anyone who has information about these violent criminals must be urged to come forward.
