A 26-year-old man will appear in Newry Magistrates’ Court later today (Monday), charged with the attempted murder of two men who were injured in separate shootings in Newry on Wednesday night and in the early hours of Thursday morning last.
The victims, both aged 32 and from Lithuania, were shot in the leg in what have been described as “paramilitary-style” attacks.
The first incident occurred around midnight when a man called to a house on Sandy’s Street. A verbal altercation ensued before the man who lives in the house was taken outside and shot in the leg.
Less than an hour later, another man was abducted from a house in the Ardfield Road area of Warrenpoint and forced into a dark coloured car before being driven to the Armagh Road in Newry where he too was shot in the leg.
Both victims were treated in hospital for non-life threatening injuries.
As part of the ongoing investigation, which police say is not being treated as a hate crime, six men were arrested and questioned in connection with the shootings. Five, aged between 20 and 31, were released on bail pending further inquiries. The sixth, who was arrested in Dungannon on Thursday, has been charged with a number of offences including attempted murder, kidnapping, possession of a firearm with intent to create an indictable offence and various driving offences.
Local politicians condemned the shootings with Sinn Fein MP Mickey Brady saying there could be” no justification” for the incidents which, he said, had brought back a fear that people had from the past.
SDLP Councillor Gary Stokes also expressed his concern at the attacks.
“It is something we have known in the past’’ and one that we don’t want to see return to our streets, he said.
The police investigation continues and detectives have appealed for information.