Eight arrests made over Lakatamia attempted murder

Police on Saturday announced a total of eight arrests in connection with an attempted murder which was carried out on Tuesday.

One arrestee was aged 49 years old, one aged 48, one aged 39, one aged 31, one aged 30, and three aged 28.

In addition to the arrests, police said a number of houses have been searched and evidence has been taken in conjunction with the case.

The attempted murder took place in Nicosia’s Lakatamia suburb in broad daylight on Tuesday, with a 34-year-old man who was riding a motorcycle being shot in the neck by a man who was a passenger on another motorcycle.

The man who was shot was taken to the Nicosia general hospital. He is reportedly “well known” to police.

Police believe the man who was shot was being followed and that the other motorcycle’s rider was waiting for him to pass to shoot him.

An eyewitness told news website the Cyprus Times that he was driving behind the man and saw him drop to the ground in a pool of blood.

“I saw him as he fell to the ground. He was in front me, I stopped. He was in a pool of blood. He was wearing a helmet; I was talking to him asking him if he’s ok but he couldn’t respond,” the eyewitness said.

“Initially I didn’t understand what happened. Another driver from across the road shouted it had been a shooting. I then saw three bullet casings.”