Who is John Caldwell? All we know about senior police officer shot in front of son in Omagh

Detective Chief Inspector had finished football coaching when he was gunned down in Omagh

A Northern Ireland police inspector is fighting for his life after he was shot in front of his son.

Masked men carried out the attack in Omagh at around 8pm on Wednesday, leaving the off-duty detective chief inspector in critical condition.

Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell was named by police on Thursday, as they confirmed three people had been arrested in connection with the attempted murder. His young son is not reported to have been harmed in the incident.

John Caldwell was a “respected and dedicated” inspector (PA)

It is understood that DCI Caldwell had been at a football training session at the Youth Sports Centre before the attack.

“He was there in his capacity as a father and a coach,” SDLP member Daniel McCrossan said. “It is always a busy centre…it is beyond comprehension.”

Democratic Unionist Party politician Tom Buchanan said Mr Caldwell grew up in the area and is “liked and respected by all of the community”.

“I think that is why there is so much anger and outrage following what happened,” he added.

Assistant Chief Constable for Crime Department Mark McEwan described DCI Caldwell as a dedicated officer.

A forensics officer at the scene of the shooting in Omagh (PA Wire)

“A highly respected senior investigating officer who’d be familiar to many of you,” the police chief said of his colleague.

“John is someone who dedicated himself to service, both as an SIO (senior investigative officer) in supporting victims and families in bringing others to justice and as an active member of the community, as has been described this morning.”

Mr Caldwell has been involved in a number of high-profile cases, including the death of Natalie McNally in Lurgan, County Armagh last year.

"It is distressing to add that Natalie was in fact 15 weeks pregnant,” he told the media at the time. “This fatal attack, which happened in her own home, has therefore resulted in a double tragedy: the death of a mother, along with her unborn baby."

DCI Caldwell was involved in the investigation into the death of Natalie McNally in Co Armagh in December (PA Media)

He also headed up the investigation of the murder of PSNI officer Ronan Kerr, which also happened in Omagh.

Mr Kerr, a 25-year-old recently graduated police recruit, died when a booby trap bomb detonated under his car outside his home in April 2011.

Mr Caldwell said at the time: “Despicably, people living in his community planned and plotted to kill him simply because he was a police officer bravely going out every day to protect people and make communities safer places to live and work.”

Police are looking into suspected New IRA involvement in Mr Caldwell’s shooting (PA)

Other cases he worked on include Mark Lovell, a 58-year-old shot at close range in his car outside his home in Newry, County Down in December.

A month later, the DCI assumed the role of a senior investigating officer when Shane Whitla, a 39-year-old father-of-four, was shot dead in Lurgan, Co Armagh.