Northern Ireland Shooting: Three Arrested, Investigators Focused on New IRA
The Facts
Three men were arrested in connection with the attempted murder of Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell on Wednesday in the town of Omagh in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland (NI). Officials have stated "violent dissident republicans" are the "prime focus" of the current investigation.
After coaching a youth soccer team, Caldwell was shot multiple times by two gunmen while he and his son were putting balls away in the car. He is reportedly in stable but critical condition.
The Spin
Narrative A
Those who shot detective Caldwell echo the perpetrators who terrorized the North for decades before the peace accord. What these groups want are terrified communities and depleted law enforcement in order to continue to use violence to push their political agenda. Although there has been relative peace for many years now, this attempted murder should wake people up to the possibility of renewed violence — especially as the Northern Ireland Protocol debates ensue.
Narrative B
While unfortunately the threat of violence in Northern Ireland still remains because of the sporadic attacks by the IRA, the region has made continued progress toward ensuring peace for more than a decade. Law enforcement and intelligence authorities — who are the reason the North has remained peaceful — must look into why a planned attack wasn't flagged earlier given the proximity of the IRA's influence to the scene of the crime.
