IN ONE of her first public statements since taking the role of Justice Minister Naomi Long has condemned the shooting of a man in west Belfast.
The 39-year-old victim was left with life changing injuries after being shot as he got out of a friend's car in Burnaby Walk, close to the Grosvenor Road area of Belfast on Monday.
The man was shot in the knee and ankle, a shot was also fired at the car of the victim's friend who tried to come to his assistance. He was not injured.
The Alliance Party MLA said: "Violent criminals have carried out a brutal attack on a member of our community, which has resulted in life changing injuries.
"Violence has no place in our society and the actions of those who terrorise their own community by bringing guns on to the streets must be condemned by all of us.
"Nothing justifies such attacks and they have no place in a Northern Ireland that is trying to move forward."
The Minister added: "These criminals would like you to think that they are protecting 'their' community ... but the reality is that those who carry out these barbaric attacks don’t care about people or justice or solving social problems.
"They are only interested in exerting control and exploiting our communities".
Mrs Long said she committed to working with Executive colleagues under the Tackling Paramilitarism Programme to end the harm caused by paramilitaries.
"I want to work with communities to increase confidence in the police and criminal justice system so that everyone has confidence that issues and offending behaviour can be dealt with in the appropriate manner".
Police have appealed for information.
