Sister feared man would lose leg

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The sister of a man shot in a gun attack in a Londonderry bookmakers has said she feared her brother would lose his leg.

Sean Ryan, 35, was shot in both legs by masked men in the premises in Meenan Square at 2100 GMT on Wednesday.

His sister, Marguerite Burke, said she visited him in hospital on Thursday.

"He was in a lot of pain, it was very hard to look at him, 'Squeeze my toes', that's all he could tell me, to squeeze his toes," she said.

"We're not too sure but we think he had an artery busted.

"His two legs were broken, and he has to go through surgery.

"We have no idea why this happened but it should have never been done."

The gunmen hijacked a silver Vauxhall Vectra in Dove Gardens. It was later found on fire in Creggan Heights.

People are saying they thought this was a thing of the past SDLP Councillor John Tierney

Councillor John Tierney of the SDLP, who knows the family, said it could have been murder.

"Not so long ago there was a shooting and a young man lost his life, young Emmett Shiels. It could have been similar last night," he said.

"The reaction in the Bogside is one of condemnation.

"People are saying they thought this was a thing of the past."

Sinn Fein assembly member Raymond McCartney said local people were horrified by the shooting.

"Like most people who live in Derry, my reaction is one of condemnation.

"These people do not represent anybody.

"These days are gone, and we do not want these people on our streets carrying out these types of shootings," he said.

Parish priest Father Michael Canny said such actions had no place in a civilised society.

"When one hears of an attempt on somebody's life like this, we always think we're back to the bad old days," he said.