A school principal in Omagh has described the moment young people witnessed the moment DCI John Caldwell was shot.
The off-duty senior PSNI officer was shot as he packed footballs into the back of his car with his son at Omagh Youthsport, with two Omagh High School pupils next to John and his son as two masked gunmen shot him multiple times.
Speaking to BBC Radio Ulster today, Omagh High School principal Christos Gaitatzis said two young pupils at the school ran for their lives- as the shots rang out.
READ MORE: DCI John Caldwell: Three men arrested on suspicion of attempted murder of PSNI officer
"It was very difficult because the children were just next to the person that was shot," Christos said.
"They were right beside him, two of our pupils were next to the son of John and were helping him to get the sports equipment out of his car.
"They saw everything that happened when he was shot initially and tried to run away from there as quickly as they could."
The principal said there was shock among pupils and staff at the school on Thursday morning.
"Some kids did not make it to school but we talked to them at home with their parents," he said.
"Absolutely shocking, it was an attack not only on a brilliant guy who was helping the kids in a coaching session, it was an attack on youngsters who attend the school.
"It was an absolutely disgusting, inhumane and heinous attack. They thought they were going to a safe place to do a training session as they do every Wednesday night."
Having took up the role of principal at the school three years ago, he added that he was in disbelief at what had happened.
"I'm in disbelief because I came to a Northern Ireland that was supposed to be completely different than I used to watch on TV."
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