£20k reward offered for information on ‘ruthless and targeted' shooting
A REWARD of up to £20k has been offered for information which leads police to catch those responsible for shooting a man in west Belfast.
PSNI detectives investigating the attempted murder of the man in February, have today released CCTV images of two suspects while appealing for information over the incident.
The appeal is backed by a reward of up to £20k from the charity Crimestoppers.
The 49-year-old victim was shot while sitting in a white Skoda Octavia taxi in the Bell Steel Manor area of the city on February 23.
'The attack took place on a Sunday morning, 23 February, just before 10.30am,' Detective Inspector Gina Quinn said today.
'This was a ruthless and targeted attack, which was intended to take a man's life.
'It took place in broad daylight when anyone – any passers-by, including children – could easily have been injured or killed.'
The PSNI has released images of the two suspects
She added: 'Today, I'm releasing still images of two suspects.
'My hope is that the images will jog a memory or touch a conscience, and that anyone with information or footage will be encouraged to come forward.'
Thye police force believe two gunmen approached the taxi on foot from a path that runs between the Glenwood and Laurelbank areas.
They fired a number of shots at the vehicle before heading back via the same path, crossing the Stewartstown Road, and entering the Glasvey area and crossing the Twinbrook Road before entering Gardenmore Road.
Det Insp Quinn has urged the public to look closely at the images to see if they can help identify the suspects.
'The first image shows the two gunmen, one of whom is wearing a High-Vis yellow jacket,' she said.
'This image shows the men at around 9.50am. They're on their way to carry out the attack, which took place at approximately 10.25am.
'The second image was taken at around 10.35am and shows the two men just after the shooting. Here, the yellow jacket has been discarded.:'
Following searches in the Glasvey area, the police force seized firearms, a hi-vis yellow jacket and dark-coloured baseball cap.
'We believe this is the jacket worn by one of the gunmen,' Det Insp Quinn said, adding: 'All items are currently undergoing forensic testing.'
'I am making a direct appeal to local people to share any footage, whether CCTV, dash cam or mobile phone footage,' she added.
'If, for example, you have CCTV, please check your footage between 9am and midday on February 23.
'Might you have captured images similar to the ones released today?
'We know the gunmen waited in the Bell Steel Road area prior to the shooting. Did you see them, or indeed notice anything untoward?'
She added: 'The independent charity Crimestoppers is offering a reward of up to £20,000 for information received directly that leads to the arrest and conviction of any person or people linked to this attack.'
'I am appealing to you to do the right thing and speak up. You can contact Crimestoppers directly, or share information with detectives on 101 or via the Major Incident Public Portal.'
See More: Attempted Murder, Belfast, PSNI, Reward
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