An incident where a shot was fired at a house in Portadown in the early hours of this morning is not being treated as sectarian or paramilitary-related, a local councillor has said.
Darryn Causby, of the DUP, said he had been speaking to a local police chief about the attack, which was reported around 12.25am on the Loughgall Road.
A woman was inside when a shot struck the front window, smashing the outer pane.
She was not injured but was left “badly shaken”, police have said.
Councillor Causby described what had happened as a “deeply concerning incident in a very quiet part of the town”.
“I wish the occupant of the house well and hope they get over the shock of the incident,” he said. “Everyone has the right to live in peace and people should be able to live safely in their own home.
“This has hit at the very heart of where people should feel safe the most.
“It is to be condemned outright and I can assure the community that the police are working hard to investigate all avenues.”
DUP MLA Jonathan Buckley described the incident as “a disgraceful attack on the home of an elderly woman”.
He added: “Shooting indiscriminately through at a window is a reckless and murderous action. The lady in question had only just left the living room at the time of the attack and my thoughts are with her at this time.
“There can be no place for such actions in our society and those responsible must be held accountable. I would encourage anyone who may have information in relation to this incident to contact the police using the 101 number.”
Ulster Unionist Leader, Doug Beattie MLA, and fellow Upper Bann Councillor Julie Flaherty, have also condemned the shooting incident.
Mr Beattie said: “This is a ridiculously reckless act that could have endangered the life of the lady that lives in the property, and the lives of her neighbours, not to mention anyone in the area at that time.”
“Quite often those injured in incidents like this are bystanders, caught in the crossfire or hit by ricocheting bullets. It is reckless and deplorable. There is no place for this in the community.”
Councillor Flaherty added: “I entirely agree with Doug. This was a reckless act and we are lucky that we are not dealing with a fatality or injury this morning.”
“We have called in with the property owner to reassure her of our support and our condemnation of this attack.”
Detective Sergeant Dave Stewart said: “We are working to establish a motive for this attack and I am appealing to anyone who was in Loughgall Road area around the time of the incident and saw or heard anything suspicious to get in touch with detectives in Lurgan on 101 quoting reference number 30 22/01/22.
“You can also submit a report online using the non-emergency reporting form via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/ or you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org/.”
