A man was killed and his brother was seriously injured in a gun attack in Castlewellan, Co Down, last night. The shooting took place outside a pub on the Burrenbridge Road just after 7 p.m.
The killing is not believed to have had sectarian or political motives. Castlewellan is strongly nationalist and local people said that they suspected Provisional IRA involvement.
Police sources said it was too early to establish a motive, but a local SDLP Assembly member, Mr Eamon O'Neill, said he was certain paramilitaries were responsible.
The dead man was named locally as Mr Matthew Burns. It is understood that his brother, Patrick, suffered gunshot wounds to the arm and leg. He was said to be in a "serious but stable condition" in hospital.
Paramedics attended to the victims within minutes of the shooting, but Mr Matthew Burns died at the scene. Police said that both men, believed to be in their 20s, were shot in their car as it stopped at the junction of the Dublin and Burrenbridge roads. Mr Matthew Burns was in the passenger seat and his brother was driving.
Speaking from the murder scene, Assistant Chief Constable Stephen White, of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, said: "We are in the early stages of an investigation into a murder that has taken place. There is very little else we can say at the moment."
A Sinn Féin Assembly member, Mr Mick Murphy, said: "Any death is bad and it is unfortunate that those behind are left to pick up the pieces. I feel saddened for the family that this has happened."
