6 June 1997 Edition
Back issue: Election worker shot
Only a week after the sectarian shooting and serious wounding of Belfast Sinn Féin's chairperson, Alex Maskey, loyalist gunmen again shot and wounded a Sinn Féin election worker in a betting office in the Markets area of South Belfast.
As with the attempted assassination of Maskey, the shooting on Saturday, 30 May bore all the hallmarks of being carried out with full collusion of the crown forces with the loyalist gang.
The attack is also the third attempt on the lives of Sinn Féin members in a month, dating from 7 May when North Belfast Sinn Féin member Brian Quinn had a narrow escape when loyalists, wearing RUC-style uniforms, tried to entice him into opening the front door. Quinn's caution saved his life but nine shots were fired through the door.
In the latest incident, 32-year-old Brendan Davidson was shot four times in the back and arms when two loyalists carrying guns and wearing caps and dark glasses entered the Crown betting shop in Cromac Street. One of the two bullets which entered his back lodged in Davidson's chest and was removed during surgery later that night.
A gunman ordered about a dozen people to lie down on the floor, pretending that their purpose was to rob the premises. Fortunately, Brendan Davidson half turned around to observe the gunmens' movements. When a gun was pointed and fired at him he quickly twisted himself out of the line of fire otherwise he would have almost certainly been fatally wounded. Another man on the premises was grazed on the ankle and it was later discovered that a third person was clipped on the shoulder.
As with the attempted assassination of Maskey, the shooting on Saturday, 30 May bore all the hallmarks of being carried out with full collusion of the crown forces with the loyalist gang.
The attack is also the third attempt on the lives of Sinn Féin members in a month, dating from 7 May when North Belfast Sinn Féin member Brian Quinn had a narrow escape when loyalists, wearing RUC-style uniforms, tried to entice him into opening the front door. Quinn's caution saved his life but nine shots were fired through the door.
In the latest incident, 32-year-old Brendan Davidson was shot four times in the back and arms when two loyalists carrying guns and wearing caps and dark glasses entered the Crown betting shop in Cromac Street. One of the two bullets which entered his back lodged in Davidson's chest and was removed during surgery later that night.
A gunman ordered about a dozen people to lie down on the floor, pretending that their purpose was to rob the premises. Fortunately, Brendan Davidson half turned around to observe the gunmens' movements. When a gun was pointed and fired at him he quickly twisted himself out of the line of fire otherwise he would have almost certainly been fatally wounded. Another man on the premises was grazed on the ankle and it was later discovered that a third person was clipped on the shoulder.