Mother mystified by son shooting

Tests were carried out at the scene of the west Belfast shooting

The mother of a 24-year-old man shot at his west Belfast home has said she has no idea why her son was targeted.

A masked gang burst into their home on the Rossnareen Road in Andersonstown at about 2100 GMT on Tuesday.

She said her nine-year-old granddaughter was in the house at the time of the shooting.

His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. The woman said her son has learning disabilities and has never been in any trouble.

"I don't know why they came into my house - my son has learning disabilities, he's not a drug dealer," she said.

"My son has never been involved in anti-social behaviour - anyone on the estate can vouch for that."

She said the gang threatened to shoot her.

"I opened the door and two men pushed me into the hall, one pushed a gun into my face and ordered me up the stairs," she said.

The attack was condemned by SDLP councillor Tim Attwood, who said: "Criminal or dissident groups have no right to take the law into their own hands.

"Nobody in west Belfast wants to go back to the dark days of vigilantism."

An hour earlier in Londonderry, a 23-year-old man was injured in a similar attack.

Five men wearing scarves entered a house in the Iniscarn Crescent area of the Creggan estate and shot him in the legs.