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POLICE IN Northern Ireland have released two people in relation to the murder of ex-IRA prisoner Kevin McGuigan.
The PSNI earlier confirmed that a 44-year-old man and 39-year-old woman has been arrested as part of their investigation, but both have been released.
Kevin McGuigan was gunned down on Wednesday night at 9pm in the Catholic Short Strand area of Belfast.
The 53-year-old – an ex-IRA prisoner – was spoken to as part of the investigation into the killing of Jock Davison, another republican figure, last May.
Gunned down
He was shot by two masked gunmen outside his home at Comber Court, the PSNI confirmed this afternoon.
McGuigan had been out with his wife – and got out of their car to open a gate when the men approached him and shot him several times.
He was taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital but died a short time later.
“This was a ruthless and premeditated killing, carried out in front of Mr McGuigan’s wife Dolores outside their home,” Detective Chief Inspector John McVea said.
“At this point we believe two men were involved in the murder, approaching Comber Court on foot.
“They fired at Mr McGuigan from point blank range, striking him a number of times in the head and chest.
“They had their faces covered and were wearing dark clothing. Afterwards, they ran off.”
Condemnation
There has been condemnation of the death from across the North’s political divide.
Addressing speculation about the link between the McGuigan’s murder and the Davison murder, Detective Chief Inspector McVea said McGuigan was spoken to as part of the investigation into the murder of Jock Davison, however he was spoken to as a potential witness, not a suspect.
“At this point in time, that remains the position. Speculation is not helpful and is potentially dangerous.
People should allow the police investigation to take its course and provide any information they have to detectives.
“I would also appeal to those with influence in the community to use all their efforts to reduce tension and appeal for calm and restraint at this very difficult time.”
Speaking to RTÉ’s Morning Ireland this morning Sinn Fein’s MLA for Belfast South Alex Maskey cautioned people against speculation, stating that it was unwelcome, unhelpful and usually uninformed.
He urged people to leave these matters to the authorities.
The police have appealed for any witnesses to the crime.
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Cos that decisions not gonna cause any problems.
“A nonagenarian lawyer representing a Hindu deity “ ..well presumably the lawyer for the other side is also representing a fictitious deity?
This is a very dangerous development.
@Gary Sheahan: why?
When the gods start warring with each other it seems to go on forever .I wonder did ever hear about a Good Friday kind of thing and follow their poor mortals and come up with some sort of arrangement
Hmm, what could possibly go wrong?
India going out of their way to piss off the muslims
@Mr.Misery: yep the Danes and French caused mayhem with a couple of cartoons. What are the Indians thinking??
@Greg Daniel: PM Modi is a Hindu ethno-nationalist, he’s been whipping up anti-Muslim sentiment for ages in India as a means to get into and hold onto power-he is a dangerous individual who will end up formenting mass murder if he’s not careful
@Mr.Misery: What could India possibly have against the religion that killed as many as 80 million of their people?
@DJ François: Yep, definitely. Kashmir was only the start of it. Now this. Lots more to come
@Fifty Shades of Sé: 80 million Indians killed by Muslims? Where did you get that from?
@Fifty Shades of Sé: religion killed 80 million? Hope they caught it.
@DJ François: hate mongering at it’s worst
@Niall Carry: I’m a Hindu. I know what we have suffered at the hands of invaders since time immemorial
But that is what Islam does, look at all the Christian sites in Israel as they all had an Islamic site built on most of them. And Christians did the same to pagan sites and so on and so on…
have your say