Police in Northern Ireland are investigating the suspected involvement of dissident republicans in the murder of a man in west Belfast on Sunday night.
Kieran Wylie, 57, died after being a shot at a house in the Lenadoon Avenue area of the city shortly before 10pm.
DCI Darren McCartney told a media briefing on Monday that two of Wylie’s youngest children were in the house at the time of the attack, which involved two gunmen. “It was a brutal killing and I believe Kieran was shot a number of times at very close range,” McCartney said.
McCartney said he was keeping an open mind about the motive but that dissident republican involvement was a major line of inquiry. “Those involved in this appalling murder have absolutely nothing to offer Northern Ireland. Nothing justifies killing another person and the recovery of the gun that was used in last night’s murder is a key line of inquiry.”
McCartney appealed for witnesses and and anyone with CCTV, mobile phone and dashcam footage from the Lenadoon area on Sunday night.
Arlene Foster, the first minister, expressed revulsion. “At a time when we are trying to protect ourselves from the invisible threat of Covid-19 and our emergency services are working hard to deal with people’s concerns, it is particularly reprehensible that some people can callously take a person’s life.”
Paul Maskey, the Sinn Féin MP for Belfast West, condemned the murder and urged anyone with information to help police.
Brian Heading, an SDLP councillor for the constituency, said the community was shocked. “Those responsible are thugs who need to get their foot off the neck of the community in west Belfast. They weren’t wanted in the past and they aren’t wanted now.”
