One man is fighting for his life and another has sustained injuries to his legs in two paramilitary–linked shootings in Belfast on Friday night.
The attacks happened within a couple of hours of each other in the north of the city.
At about 5.20pm a man was shot in the head in a Chinese takeaway outlet on the Oldpark Road.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland later said a car they believe was connected to that shooting was found burnt out in the nearby Torrens area.
The PSNI’s James Murphy said: ”A report was made to police at around 5.40pm that a man had received a suspected gunshot wound to his head in the vicinity of the fast food takeaway.
“A blue-coloured Vauxhall Astra estate car was seen to make off from the scene and a car matching this description was found on fire a short time later nearby in Torrens Gardens.”
The victim of the shooting attack was then taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast where he was described as being in a critical condition.
Northern Ireland Assembly member and SDLP representative Alan Maginness described the attack as “a savage act of violence which has no place in modern society.”
Just over two hours later another man was shot in the nationalist New Lodge area of north Belfast.