Man in his 50s shot in both knees

Police say it was a 'vicious and brutal' attack.

PSNI
Author: Naomi HollandPublished 24th Mar 2019

A man in his 50s has been targeted in a paramilitary-style gun attack.

He was shot in both knees on Ardmonagh parade in west Belfast.

It happened at around 8 o'clock on Saturday evening - he was later taken to hospital for treatment.

PSNI Detective Sergeant Armstrong said: "This was a vicious and brutal attack at a time in the evening when families were going about their business.

"The very fact that whoever pulled the trigger thought it was acceptable to recklessly shoot this man in a built-up area where children and teenagers could be passing by shows the contempt they have for their community.

"The bullets could have strayed at any moment and hit someone passing by.

“This is utterly appalling and needs to stop.

“Anyone who witnessed this shooting would have been petrified, including the victim himself. This is not what we want in our communities.

“There is absolutely no justification for an attack like this in our communities, and we must all work together to bring those responsible to justice and to stop this from happening to anyone else."

He's appealing for anyone who was in the Ardmonagh Parade or Norglen Parade area last night, or anyone who knows anything about the incident, to contact detectives or Crimestoppers.