A man in his 50s has been subjected to what police have termed a "vicious and brutal" paramilitary-style attack in west Belfast.
The victim was shot in the leg in an alleyway off the Dunville Street area on Friday evening.
Police have issued an appeal for information about the incident.
Detective Sergeant Gardiner said: “This was a vicious and brutal attack, which happened at a time when families could have been going about their daily business.
“The victim, along with anyone who happened to witness this, would have been petrified.
“Such actions have no place whatsoever in today’s society, and I am appealing to anyone with information to contact us.”.
According to PSNI statistics, there has been a surge of paramilitary-style shootings in recent months. Eight paramilitary-style shootings were recorded in three months between August and the end of October according to the Police Recorded Security Situation Statistics.