Police investigating the killing of a man in Belfast are today working on the theory that the shooting was it could have been part of a feud between loyalist paramilitaries.
Mr Jeffrey Thomas Gray (41) from the Bersbridge Road in east Belfast, was shot dead in Ravenhill Avenue at about 11.40 p.m. last night by a lone gunman dressed in black and wearing a baseball cap.
The victim was shot in the chest.
Detective Superintendent Alan Mains, the senior investigating officer, said officers were anxious to trace Mr Gray's movements over the past 48 hours.
It is believed the victim, who hailed originally from Portadown in Co Armagh, had been drinking in the area before he was shot.
"I don't believe it is any secret that the Police Service of Northern Ireland has been very pro-active in relation to trying to deal with this," he observed.
"The first opportunity the loyalist community seem to have got was last night and as a result of that we have a murder investigation.
"We are putting this down at this stage to tensions within the loyalist community."
The murder was condemned across the political spectrum in Northern Ireland.
Northern Ireland Security Minister Ms Jane Kennedy joined with the joint leaders of the Stormont power-sharing Executive, Mr David Trimble and Mr Mark Durkan, in condemning its brutality.
"This was another brutal murder which cannot be justified," she said.
The killing was also condemned by the Women's Coalition MLA for South Belfast Monica McWilliams and the SDLP Assembly Member, Dr Alasdair McDonnell.
Ulster Unionist Assembly candidate Mr Jim Rodgers appealed to loyalists to pull back from a feud which erupted last month with the killing of Mr Stephen Warnock in Newtownards in Co Down.
The feud, which has seen the east Belfast commander of the Ulster Defence Association Mr Jim Gray shot in the face, has also resulted in leading loyalists Johnny Adair and John White being expelled from that organisation.
Mr Adair had angered former colleagues in the UDA by forging close ties with the Loyalist Volunteer Force whose stronghold is in Portadown.
PA