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A senior detective shot dead by dissident gunmen has been released from hospital to continue his recovery at home. Chief Inspector John Caldwell was shot multiple times at an Omagh sports center in February. He was putting balls in a car with his young son after coaching a youth sports team when he was attacked.
Mr Caldwell was seriously ill for a time at Altnagelvin Hospital in Londonderry and suffered life-changing injuries.
The police blamed the New IRA for the attack which they are treating as an assassination attempt.
Since then, the terrorist threat level in the region has been raised to severe, meaning an attack is very likely.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) confirmed that Caldwell was released from hospital on Thursday.
In a statement, the PSNI said: "The Police Service of Northern Ireland can confirm that Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell has been released from hospital today, Thursday 20 April, to continue his recovery.
"We ask that John and his family have privacy at this time."
The February attack united political leaders in condemnation.
There were also public rallies to show solidarity with PSNI Police Chief Simon Byrne, Mr Caldwell and his family.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak visited Mr Caldwell in hospital last week.
Speaking at a dinner at Hillsborough Castle on Wednesday night, Sunak said Caldwell had told him Northern Ireland could not go back to its violent past.
"We sat together and talked about the society he loves and his ordeal. He told me, 'we can't go back,'" Sunak said.
“We cannot go back. If there is a message from this room tonight, a message from the people of Northern Ireland to the world, surely it is this: we will never go back.
PA wire
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