Hunt for gunman after man shot in Coral Bay

POLICE ARE on the hunt for the person responsible for shooting 39-year-old American Cypriot Michael Joseph in the neck, in the early hours of yesterday morning outside his house in Paphos.

Joseph’s condition is said to be extremely serious.

According to police reports, the suspect waited for Joseph outside the entrance to his residence before shooting him in the back of his neck with a shotgun.

Joseph was initially taken to the Paphos General Hospital after police received an anonymous telephone call at just after 3am informing them of an injured man outside one of the apartments in a holiday complex in the Coral Bay area in Paphos. After medical examinations it was found that parts of the bullet were lodged into the victim’s lungs and thoracic cavity, making it necessary to transfer Joseph to the Intensive Care Unit of Nicosia General Hospital.

The 39-year-old, who arrived on the island for business three days ago, has reportedly been working in association with a local property company.

Police have issued an arrest warrant for a suspect in the case. They are reportedly searching for a Greek Cypriot who resides in the area with whom Joseph is said to have carried out a number of transactions.

Paphos Deputy Police Chief Dimitris Tsokkas refused to be drawn into speculation about the nature of investigations.

“We cannot really say anything yet because the investigation is ongoing and I would not want to put the inquiry in jeopardy,” he told reporters yesterday. “We are exploring all avenues at the moment.”

According to reports, the only thing police are ruling out at the moment is the possibility of theft, as they found no evidence on the scene of the crime to suggest this.

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