President Biden has commended Northern Ireland's political leaders for uniting to condemn and show support towards the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) in the aftermath of the attempted murder of a high-profile officer.
The officer, Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell, was shot multiple times by the New IRA, an armed dissident republican group opposed to the peace process.
The attack occurred at a leisure centre in Omagh, Co Tyrone, last month, and Caldwell remains in a critical but stable condition.
In response to the attack, leaders of the main Stormont parties went together to meet PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne to receive an update on the incident.
Following this meeting, they stood together with Byrne to condemn the attack and express solidarity with the police.
President Biden praised this act of unity, stating that the leaders' "actions send the message—loud and clear—that violence has no place in Northern Ireland".
There have been concerns about the recent increase in tension and violence in Northern Ireland, particularly regarding the post-Brexit arrangements for trade with the rest of the UK. Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Micheál Martin also spoke out against the attack, stating that "we must all work together to ensure that communities in Northern Ireland are not caught in the middle of these unacceptable acts of violence and terror".
Although all sources agree on the main events of the story, there are differences in their characterisations of the incident.
The Independent frames President Biden's comments as a commendation of Northern Ireland's unity, while RTE News emphasises the concerns raised by Taoiseach Micheál Martin and highlights the ongoing issues around post-Brexit trade arrangements.
Nonetheless, all sources agree that the attack was an act of violence that has been widely condemned and that political unity against such violence is necessary.