Crossmaglen shooting: Five arrested over attempted murder

Police cordoned off the scene after the shooting on Ballsmill Road, Crossmaglen, on 4 September

Five men have been arrested by police investigating a shooting which left a man critically injured in Crossmaglen, County Armagh.

The victim, who is in his 30s, was shot in the neck and the arm as he sat in his car on Ballsmill Road on 4 September.

A 32-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday evening.

Two men aged 31, and a 58-year-old have been released on bail. Another man, 35, was charged with drugs offences.

He is expected to appear before Newry Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.

All charges will be reviewed by the Public Prosecution Service.

Following the earlier arrests on Tuesday, after police searches in Crossmaglen, Supt Norman Haslett renewed the Police Service of Northern Ireland's appeal for information.

He described the shooting as a shocking and callous act.

"The victim was sitting in his car, parked on the Ballsmill Road, waiting for a connecting lift to work," Supt Haslett said.

Just after 06:10 BST, the man was approached by a masked person, who fired a number of shots and hit him in the arm and neck.

The area was forensically examined after the gun attack

Supt Haslett said the victim somehow managed to drive a short distance before calling for help.

The officer described it as a "pre-planned and targeted attack on a victim who parked his car here on a regular, daily basis".

The man was driving a silver Volkswagen Passat and police want to hear from witnesses who saw vehicles in the area or who captured dash cam footage of the scene.

"Although this is a rural area, it's also a road well-used by motorists for their morning journey to work, linking with onward routes to both Dublin and Belfast," Supt Haslett said.

"Furthermore, there are many commuters who routinely park their cars in this area in order to share onward lifts to work.

"I'm asking anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to get in touch."