DETECTIVES believe the son of a womann shot in the back of the head may have been the target of the Co Derry murder bid.
At least three men were involved in raking the front and rear of the house in Coleraine with two firearms which left a 61-year-old woman fighting for her life, a detective has said.
She remains critically ill in hospital on Wednesday.
The victim was found unconscious in the house on the Bushmills Road on Monday night after being struck in the head by one of a number of bullets fired at the property.
But locals believe loyalist paramilitaries in the two carried out the attack.
The victim’s son was not at home at the time of the attack and police suspect he was the target for the loyalist gunmen.
PSNI detective chief inspector Dunny McCubbin said they are working to establish a motive for the “vile attack”.
DCI Cubbin said they have not ruled out that the woman had not been the intended target, and that one of the lines of inquiry is that paramilitaries may have been involved.
The house was described as “known to police”.
Last month, a 21-year-old woman was found dead at the same property.
An investigation into that death continues.
Detective Chief Inspector McCubbin said the incident on Monday night was attempted murder.
“Shortly before midnight on Monday police received reports of a number of shots being fired in the area and officers subsequently discovered a woman lying unconscious inside her Bushmills Road home, a place where she should have been safe,” he said.
PSNI Detective Chief Inspector Dunny McCubbin
“They fired through numerous windows indiscriminately, not knowing where the lethal bullets would end up.
“This clearly highlights the blatant disregard these criminal gangs have for their own community.
“I believe that three or more men were responsible for this callous attack, and also that there may be two different types of firearms used.
“I am appealing to local people to bring information to the police in order to stop them from causing further harm to this community.
“I am keen to hear from anyone who saw a group of men wearing hooded tops and light coloured clothes who were seen shortly before the attempted murder running across Bushmills Road from a laneway leading from Millburn.
“Three men were then seen walking and running up a lane from the Bushmills Road house.
“I would also like to hear from anyone who saw a light, possibly grey coloured saloon car with a dark sunroof in the vicinity.”
Local MP Gregory Campbell condemned the shooting.
“There will be fear and shock among all age groups, but especially amongst those in the older community and there will be anger of course that something like this can happen,” he said.
Sinn Fein MLA Caoimhe Archibald added: “No-one wants to see reckless and very dangerous incidents like this in Coleraine.
“Those responsible have nothing to offer society and need to be taken off the streets and anyone with information on what happened should bring it forward to the PSNI.”
Anyone with information is is asked to contact police in Coleraine by calling 101, quoting reference 2174 05/10/20.
Or use the PSNI’s non-emergency reporting form via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/
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