Drugs vendetta blamed for gangland killing

A TEENAGER was killed and two men and a woman injured in a gangland shooting on a Glasgow housing estates yesterday, writes James Cusick. Shortly after the shooting, the brother of one of the injured men was stabbed in a nearby street.

Although police are reluctant to speculate on the motives behind the violence, the mother of one of the injured men claimed her son had been innocently caught in a drugs vendetta. The shooting is the third in the Haghill area in the last two months. Police believe all three attacks may be related.

In the attack, Richard Fox, 17, was killed; the three injured victims, who are all in hospital, are John Kearney, 19, Daniel White, 30, and Margaret Mullen, 29.

Shortly after the shooting, Daniel White's brother, Patrick, 34, was stabbed in a nearby street. He is also in hospital. Six weeks ago, in the same area, a couple were wounded by a youth armed with a sawn-off shotgun.

Mary Kearney said her family had suffered assaults and intimidation from another family on the estate over three years. She alleged that the violence started after she had petitioned a community council meeting to urge police to remove local drug dealers from the streets.

Detective Superintendent James Johnstone said a small-calibre handgun had been used in Thursday night's shooting. He said police were looking for a man of medium build aged between 18 and 30.

An extensive inquiry in Hagshill was being carried out by officers yesterday.

Senior police said there was no evidence at this stage that the shooting was drugs-related.