West Belfast: Two held after man shot in head

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Media caption,

A forensics officer examines the car the victim was in when he was shot.

A man who was shot in the head in west Belfast is in a critical condition in hospital.

The attack happened in a car in Rossnareen Avenue in the Shaws Road area of the city. Two men have been arrested.

The victim is in his 40s and understood to be from the traveller community.

He had been in a car along with a woman when the attack happened. The shooting was reported shortly before 09:00 GMT on Thursday.

Shocked and concerned

A spokesperson for the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service said they received a report at 08.55 BST that a man had been shot in the head.

Sinn Féin MLA Rosie McCorley said that whoever carried out the attack had no regard for the local community.

Image source, Pacemaker
Image caption,

The man was taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital for treatment

"The car stopped at the junction of Rosgoill Park, a very busy junction, especially at this time of the morning because there is a local school there and people would have been dropping their children off.

"Local people are shocked and concerned that this happened at a very busy time."

Police are appealing for information about the crime.