Shooting victim sought help on foot say police - Republican Network for Unity says victim is one of its senior members
A DUP member of the Policing Board has declared himself "horrified" by the shooting of a taxi driver in Belfast.
Trevor Clarke MLA was reacting to the gun attack in the Poleglass area of south-west Belfast, a heavily-republican district.
The dissident republican group Republican Network for Unity has named the victim as a member of its national executive committee.
Mr Clarke said: "It's a worrying development. And obviously it goes without saying that we'd be encouraging people with any information that the information should be taken to the PSNI to allow them to deal with it in the appropriate way.
"I was shocked to hear the news last night, horrified at the callous nature of what took place."
The shooting occurred yesterday.
The PSNI had said: "At around 10.30am, police received a report that two masked men had approached a taxi which was parked in the area and fired shots through the window striking the driver.
“He was taken to hospital for treatment of his injuries and is described as being in a critical but stable condition."
The Republican Network for Unity's (RNU) national Facebook page has published the following statement: "Today's shooting of RNU activist and life long Republican Sean O'Reilly should be condemned by the entire Republican community, these cowardly scum who peddle lies to mask their own criminality.
"These rats are heavily embedded with drug dealers not only extorting and protecting them but actively participating in drug dealing within our community. We warned before about these cowards we told everyone what they were like and how low they would stoop, yet again they have exposed themselves.
"Sean is a member of our Ard Chomhairle and has worked tirelessly within Republicanism for close to four decades, he is a former Republican POW having spent two terms in captivity for his political activism, he was active in the jail fighting for political status with his comrades having spent over 18 months on dirty protest…
"We send our thoughts to Sean and his family at this time and can confirm that Sean is recovering well."