AMAN who survived an "assassination attempt" in north Belfast has spoken about his miraculous escape after being shot in the face at point-blank range.
Dan Murray discharged himself from hospital on Monday following emergency surgery to remove a bullet that travelled through his neck and chipped the top of his spinal cord. He said he "needs answers" about why he was targeted.
Mr Murray was with his partner Ciara Austin and 20-month-old son Padraig when two masked men, who identified themselves as being from the "republican movement", forced their way into his home at St James Mews, off the Antrim Road, on Sunday night.
Ms Austin said she had opened the front door to place rubbish in the bin when one of the men, who had his face covered with a balaclava and was armed with a 9mm handgun, pushed her to the ground.
He then went into the living room and aimed the gun at Mr Murray's head at point-blank range.
"I'm lucky to be alive. I turned my head away and the bullet went through my cheek but he aimed straight for my head," he said.
"It was an assassination attempt -there's no other way to describe it. If I hadn't turned my head I wouldn't be here today.
"I need answers. I've made contact with ONH, RIRA and the IRSP and they all deny involvement, but I need to know why this happened to me."
Originally from the Norglen area of west Belfast, the takeaway delivery driver previously survived a murder bid when he was shot several times in his car by the Continuity IRA.
It is believed the attack on Sunday may have been carried out by the dissident group called Action Against Drugs, previously responsible for the murder of 36-year-old Danny McKay at his home in the Longlands area in October 2013.
"When I was shot by the CIRA they were looking money from me, that was the only reason," Mr Murray said.
"There have been rumours for years that I'm a drug dealer - it has gone from cannabis to cocaine and now people are spreading rumours that I'm dealing heroin.
"I've never sold drugs in my life. I would challenge anyone to bring someone to stand in front of me and say that I've sold them drugs.
"They can't because that's not me - my life is Ciara and Padraig I don't even go out at night."
Ms Austin added: "If we're supposed to be drug dealers we must be the poorest drug dealers in Ireland because we've no money. I've lived in this house for 10 years and never until now had paramilitaries near my door. They came in to my home to murder him. I thought I'd lost him. The doctor said it was a miracle he survived."
Police have said they are treating the attack as attempted murder and are examining a paramilitary link.
