Six escape injury after gun attack on house in Coalisland

Number of shots fired at property - for the second time in four months

Shooting Coalisland
Author: Nigel GouldPublished 1st Jul 2019
Last updated 1st Jul 2019

A number of shots were fired at a house in Co Tyrone in the early hours of today (Monday).

Six people were inside the property in Loughview Gardens, Coalisland, at the time of the incident.

It is the second time the house has been targeted in just under four months.

A PSNI spokesman said detectives are investigating.

"At around 4.10am it was reported that, just a couple of minutes previously, a number of shots had been fired at a house in Loughview Gardens, striking and damaging windows,'' he said.

"Fortunately, none of the six occupants in the house at the time were injured.

"Everyone has a right to live in a safe and stable community and this type of senseless and reckless criminality will not be tolerated. Thankfully, we are not dealing with any serious injuries, or worse, today.

"We are working to establish a motive for this appalling attack and I want to reassure the community we are taking what happened this morning very seriously and I am appealing to anyone with information to please get in touch with us.

"In particular, I want to appeal to anyone who saw any person/persons acting suspiciously, or any cars being driven in a suspicious manner between 4am and 4.10am in the area to call detectives on 101, quoting reference number 202 of 1/07/19.''

Shooting Coalisland

SDLP councillor Malachy Quinn condemned the incident.

"I have been contacted by residents this morning who, like myself, were woken up by the shots,'' he said.

"Thankfully, the couple in the house were not hurt and the PSNI have sealed off the area and will be investigating. I ask anyone who may have seen something to come forward with information.

"I strongly condemn this shooting. Yet again we have had outsiders coming into our community to play judge, jury and executioner, putting innocent lives at risk and disturbing others.

"Last time they narrowly missed young people having a party, this time it was an elderly couple sleeping, and it's only a matter of time before someone is killed if these people aren't caught."