Police in Northern Ireland today released CCTV footage of a Ford Fiesta which they believe was used by gunmen who shot a top detective.
Video shows the car speeding away from a sports center car park in Omagh, where Chief Detective Inspector John Caldwell was shot on Wednesday.
The vehicle, which is seen slowing slightly as it approaches other traffic before turning onto the main road, was later found burnt out by an abandoned farm building on the outskirts of Omagh.
DCI Caldwell was shot multiple times while standing with her son. PSNI says she believes the attack was linked to terrorism with the New IRA as its main line of investigation, and is currently interviewing six men, aged 22, 38, 43, 45, 47 and 71.
Last night, a typed message appeared on a wall in Londonderry, purporting to be from the New IRA and claiming responsibility for the assassination attempt on Mr Caldwell. It was signed ‘T O’Neill’, a name previously used by the splinter terror group.
Police say this video, which they released today, shows the car being driven by the gunmen who shot DCI John Caldwell.
Last night, a typed message appeared on a wall in Londonderry, purporting to be from the New IRA and claiming responsibility for the assassination attempt on Mr Caldwell.
Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell has been fighting for his life in hospital since he was shot in front of his young son in Co Tyrone last Wednesday.
At a press conference in Omagh following the release of the car footage, Detective Chief Superintendent Eamonn Corrigan called out anyone who had seen the car in the two weeks before the attack.
“Today I am posting CCTV footage of the car used by the gunmen. This is a blue Ford Fiesta, registration number MGZ 6242. It was then fitted with fake plates, FRZ 8414, prior to the attack,” Corrigan said.
“Our CCTV footage shows the car leaving the sports complex and turning left onto Killyclogher Road immediately after the shooting. So we know he went through the Glendale gas station to Racolpa Road, where they abandoned the car and set it on fire.
“We have established that the car was purchased in Ballyclare on Wednesday 8 February and was observed traveling towards Belfast on the M2 motorway that evening.
It was then noted that he left Belfast at around 9:30pm on Tuesday 21 February, the night before John was attacked, and traveled on the M1 motorway in the direction of Coalisland/Omagh.
“My appeal today is to anyone who knows where this car has been stored in Belfast for the previous two weeks or to anyone who knows where it was stored after traveling to Omagh on Tuesday night.”
On Sunday night, a typed message appeared on a wall in Londonderry purporting to be an admission of responsibility for the attack.
The ‘getaway car’ was found burned next to an abandoned building on a farm on the outskirts of Omagh.
Police released a photo of a ‘distinct’ alloy wheel that was on the car
On Saturday, the local community rallied behind Mr Caldwell and his family, demanding an end to the violence on the streets of Omagh.
The note read: ‘The Irish Republican Army claims responsibility for the military operation against senior member of the Crown Force, John Caldwell.
‘An IRA active duty unit was in position to target the enemy within our chosen kill zone with other armed volunteers providing cover.
‘All the volunteers returned safely to the base.
‘Irish Republican Army intelligence is now in possession of security information about the off-limits movement of Crown Force personnel.
‘We would say this, you still have to try to live a normal day to day life, one of these days the IRA will be waiting for you. T O’Neill.
In a subsequent tweet, DUP MLA Diane Dodds said: ‘Vile. Absolutely vile threats towards those who seek to protect our NI community. I’m with the PSNI.
Deputy Police Chief Mark McEwan addressed the apparent claim of liability at another press conference this morning.
He told reporters: ‘The police are aware of the liability claim. We are currently reviewing its content as part of the overall investigation.
“On Friday, we confirmed that we were treating the attempted assassination of DCI John Caldwell as terrorism-related and our main line of investigation was the New IRA.”
Police found a small burnt out car in the vicinity of Racolpa Road, Omagh, shortly after the shooting.
On Saturday, the local community rallied behind Mr Caldwell and his family, demanding an end to the violence on the streets of Omagh.
Omagh’s main street was brought to a standstill by protesters, who chanted chants and carried signs reading: “There is no going back.”
The motto refers to the history of violence and terror in Northern Ireland. The demonstration was organized by the unions.
Anton McCabe, secretary of the Omagh Trade Union Council, said they had in mind that a man is still seriously ill and children are traumatized by the incident, and they wanted to have a demonstration that was as respectful as possible.
“Today we are here to say that there is no going back, that there is no going back to violence, fear and injustices,” he told the gathering.
Unison’s Patricia McKeown said that peace in Northern Ireland was only born when “a massacre was perpetrated against the men, women and children of Omagh”.
The protest took place a short distance from where a 1998 dissident Republican bombing killed 29 people, including a woman pregnant with twins.
“Twenty-five years later, she has tried again and her spirit and determination have not been broken,” said Ms McKeown.
A map showing the site of the shooting of Mr. Caldwell
