There has been condemnation of a shooting on a home in west Belfast where a young woman and a five-year old child narrowly escaped injury.
The 27-year-old woman, who works as a nurse, and her young cousin were left shocked by the attack at 10pm on Wednesday. The child's grandmother, who also lives at the Aitnamona Crescent property was not at home at the time.
The woman, who did not want to be named, said her five-year-old cousin took a panic attack and was left in a distressed state.
Shots, from what was believed to be a high powered handgun, were fired through both downstairs living room windows. A shot was also aimed at an upstairs bedroom window.
One line of enquiry is that the family may have fallen victim to mistaken identity in a feud that has already claimed the lives of two men, Stephen Carson, shot dead in February last year and delivery driver Kieran McManus who was shot dead in Kennedy Way in west Belfast in 2013.
One man has been charged in connection with the murder of Mr Carson. No one has been charged in connection with the murder of Mr McManus.
A number of properties in the nearby Turf Lodge area have been previously targeted in attacks linked to the same feud.
The windows of the house were boarded up last night while neighbours said the shocked family are staying with relatives.
Sinn Féin MP Paul Maskey condemned the gun attack saying; "A young woman and child were in the house at the time of the attack and thankfully they were not injured but it must have been a frightening experience for them and those living nearby.
"There is no place in our society for attacks like this.
"I would encourage anyone with information on this attack to bring it forward to the PSNI."
Police have said they are carrying out a number of follow-up enquiries and asked for anyone who was in the area at 10pm on Wednesday and may have seen anything suspicious to contact them.
