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Shooting victim was on his way to visit father in hospital on life-support

Dungiven Sinn Féin councillor, Sean McGlinchey who spoke to the victim of Wednesday's shooting.
Dungiven Sinn Féin councillor, Sean McGlinchey who spoke to the victim of Wednesday's shooting. Dungiven Sinn Féin councillor, Sean McGlinchey who spoke to the victim of Wednesday's shooting.

A 22-year-old Derry man, who was shot in Dungiven, was on his way to visit his seriously ill father in hospital when he was abducted.

The victim was found crawling along the road at Hass Park in Dungiven after he was shot in both legs on Wednesday night.

The shooting happened at around 8pm on Wednesday. The man was abducted earlier in the Glenowen Park area of Derry.

The incident is the second shooting in Dungiven since last week. On Wednesday October 12 a number of shots were fired in the air outside a house in the Ard Na Smol area after a masked gang threatened the female householder.

A paramilitary group calling itself the North Derry Republican Group which has been active in the Dungiven area for some years, said it was responsible. However no group has yet to claim responsibility for the latest attack.

Dungiven Sinn Féin councillor, Sean McGlinchey visited the scene of Wednesday’s shooting and spoke to the victim as he was being treated by paramedics.

Mr McGlinchey said: “He was in a daze but he told me he was going to see his father who was on life support in Altnagelvin when he was abducted.

"The young fellow said he didn’t know why he had been abducted and shot,” he said.

Derry independent councillor Sean Carr said people were shocked at the shooting and baffled about why he was driven 18 miles to be shot.

“No matter what the victim did or was perceived to have done, the law of the gun is not the answer,” Mr Carr said.