Omagh High School pupils were helping DCI John Caldwell pack his car when he was shot

Pupils from Omagh High School were helping Detective Chief Constable John Caldwell place sports equipment in his car when he was shot, Principal Christos Gaitatzis has said.

The school’s principal said 15 pupils at his school had been taking part in a football session that DCI Caldwell was coaching.

Mr Caldwell was shot a number of times at a sports complex in Omagh.

Police said the primary focus of the investigation is on dissident republicans and three men aged 38, 45, 47 have been arrested.

“Last night, the pupils of Omagh High School and many other schools in the town were in the Omagh Youth Sports Complex where they were finishing football practice and John Caldwell was coaching that session,” Mr Gaitatzis told UTV.

“Fifteen of our pupils were there at that training session... and at the end of the session some of the pupils would be helping John to put some of the sports equipment into his car. This is when the shooting took place, so directly a lot of our pupils witnessed this particular attack.

"It was a shocking experience for young children...

“They were right beside him helping place the sports equipment into his car....

“And as a result of this we now have a big group of pupils that have significant trauma that we will really need as a school to handle.

“This is not something young people should have to come across at all. This was not just an attack on John Caldwell, but an attack on all our children.”

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