Omagh police shooting: DCI John Caldwell critically ill and sedated

One of Northern Ireland's most senior police officers remains critically ill and heavily sedated in hospital after he was shot in front of his son.

John Caldwell's wife and son had been left heavily affected by his shooting, said Police Service of Northern Ireland Chief Constable Simon Byrne.

Two gunmen shot the 48-year-old several times as he was putting footballs into his car in Omagh on Wednesday.

A fourth man was arrested over the attempted murder on Friday morning.

The 22-year-old was arrested in the Coalisland area of County Tyrone under the Terrorism Act and is currently being questioned at Musgrave Serious Crime Suite.

Three men - aged 38, 45, and 47 - arrested in Omagh and Coalisland on Thursday - remain in custody.

Mr Byrne provided an update alongside leaders from Northern Ireland's five main parties on Friday.

Political leaders presented a united front with the chief constable, which Mr Byrne said was a significant show of solidarity that showed the "sheer sense of outrage at this pointless and senseless attack".

The police investigation is looking at dissident republicans, with a focus on the New IRA, but police say they are keeping an open mind.

Dissident republicans oppose the 1998 Good Friday Agreement peace settlement in Northern Ireland and continue to use violence to attempt to unite Northern Ireland with the Republic of Ireland.

He is one of the best-known detectives in the PSNI, often fronting press conferences on major inquiries during his 26-year career.

He had coached a Beragh Swifts training session at Youth Sport Omagh when the gunmen approached and shot him at about 20:00 GMT on Wednesday.

Children ran in terror when the shots rang out in the car park of the sports complex.

Two gunmen, who were dressed in dark clothing, carried out the attack and fled the scene of the shooting on foot, police said.

At least two other vehicles were struck by their volley of shots.

Things are touch and go: John Caldwell is not yet out of the woods, and there is clearly concern about his condition and further surgery.

At his meeting with political leaders, the chief constable would have sketched out a landscape of dealing with dissident republican terrorism in the context of a budget squeeze and further staff reductions.

In the absence of Stormont, this will lie in the hands of the secretary of state.

Police believe the gunmen then made off in a small, dark car, which was found burnt out at Racolpa Road, outside Omagh.

The Racolpa Road is closed between the Rushill Road and Crocknacor Road.

Beragh Swifts chairman Ricky Lyons said the club was supporting the young players who witnessed the shooting.

"He was taking a kids' training session - it's hard to compute that someone would try to attempt to kill John at that moment," said Mr Lyons.

Irish Football Association (IFA) President Conrad Kirkwood said he had received a message from Det Ch Insp Caldwell earlier this week about hosting a football seminar at his club.

"This is a guy who, despite having a busy day job, is absolutely invested in trying to make things better - it makes it even more tragic," he added.

On Friday morning, a police cordon at the Youth Sport Omagh complex was reduced.

A recovery vehicle carrying two cars left the scene under police escort on Thursday night.

A rally to condemn the attack will be held at Omagh's courthouse on Saturday morning.

It will take place close to where 29 people died after a bombing in the County Tyrone town on 15 August 1998 - the biggest single atrocity in the Troubles.

A walk of solidarity will also take place at Beragh Swifts Football Club on Saturday, with attendees encouraged to wear the club's colours.

An Garda Síochána (police in the Republic of Ireland) continue to work closely with the PSNI after the shooting, a spokesperson said.

Gardaí previously said it had intensified patrolling in border counties following the attack.

It added that it will provide the PSNI with assistance as required as the investigation continues.

Last March, the the threat level posed by dissident republican terrorism in Northern Ireland was lowered from severe to substantial for the first time in 12 years.

The decision to lower the threat level was taken by the Security Service (MI5) after assessing a wide range of information, independently of ministers.

Since 2010 it had been "severe", meaning attacks are highly likely. It is now "substantial", meaning attacks are likely.

The threat level is assessed over a period of time rather than in reaction to one event.

Dt Ch Insp Caldwell has been the senior detective in high-profile inquiries including:

He had received a number of threats in the past, BBC News NI understands, and was aware his investigations of dissident republican attacks made him a high-profile target.

He continued to carry out his activities as a football coach and whether that was a pattern that aided the targeting of him is of course a matter for the investigation.

The last gun attack on a PSNI officer was in January 2017.

The PSNI officer was hit by automatic gunfire at a petrol station in north Belfast.