NI: Teenage girl shot with airgun

A 16-year-old girl has been shot with a pellet gun in a Northern Ireland seaside resort – the second teenager to be shot in the town on the same day – it was revealed today.

The girl was struck in the leg by a pellet while at The Crescent in Portstewart, Co Derry, on Sunday evening said police.

They said they believed her attacker was the same person who shot 14-year-old Daniel Kelso, who was also hit in the leg with a pellet at the same spot on Sunday.

Appealing for information the Police Service of Northern Ireland said detectives were concerned those responsible may strike again and that someone may be more seriously injured.

A spokesman said: “We believe both incidents are linked and are worried that someone deliberately set out to injure both teenagers.”

Police patrols in the north coast resort have been stepped up, but the spokesman said they still wanted residents and visitors alike to be vigilant and promptly report any suspicious activity they notice.

John Dallat, the SDLP East Derry MLA, called for a change in the law and a new campaign to take all types of weapons out of society.

“The recent campaign to take out of circulation knives should be extended to include airguns and other types of weapons which can be lethal.

“It is a disgrace that young people have to run the gauntlet of irresponsible people with airguns and end up in hospital,” he said.

The incident must be taken seriously by the authorities, he said, and a revised awareness campaign launched to bring the message home that airguns are lethal weapons capable of killing people and should not be in circulation, added Mr Dallat.

“The law should be revised to make the carrying of these weapons in unsupervised conditions a criminal offence carrying severe penalties,” he added.