Tension mounted in Belfast last night after a man was shot dead in the Oldpark area of north Belfast in what appeared to be an escalation of the loyalist feud. The man, who was shot in his girlfriend's home at 10.30 p.m., was named locally as Mr Sam Rocket (21). The UDA is believed to have been responsible.
It is understood the victim was targeted because of his family's friendship with Progressive Unionist Party Assembly member, Mr Billy Hutchinson. The PUP is the political wing of the UVF.
Mr Rocket was single but was believed to have had a one-yearold daughter. It was not known last night how many gunmen were involved in the shooting, at Summer Street, but Mr Rocket was reportedly shot several times.
The RUC later sealed off the scene as forensic experts moved in. Initial reports suggested that both his girlfriend and their daughter were in the house at the time of the attack. Mr Rocket was taken to the Mater Hospital but died in casualty soon afterwards. The attack is thought to have been in retaliation for the UVF double murder on Monday of Mr Jackie Coulter and Mr Bobby Mahood.
Mr Mahood, who had previous UVF connections but opposed the Belfast Agreement, will be buried today. Thousands of mourners are expected to gather at his home off the Shankhill Road. It is understood his family has requested no paramilitary trappings.
Loyalist sources believe Mr Coulter, who had UDA connections and was an associate of UDA Shankill commander, Johnny Adair, will be buried tomorrow with full paramilitary honours. Last night's killing came 26 hours after Adair was arrested and sent back to jail. Northern Secretary Mr Peter Mandelson had stated that revoking Adair's licence would help end the loyalist feud.
However, the move had angered many UDA activists, including some who had previously been reluctant to support Adair. One UDA source last night said: "This killing proves that putting Johnny back behind bars solved nothing. The UDA is more than just Johnny Adair. If anything, returning him to jail was going to make his men more determined to make their presence felt and show they can't be easily cowed."
Adair will apply to the Sentence Review Commission to consider Mr Mandelson's suspension of the licence under which he was granted early release from the Maze prison 11 months ago. This accelerated procedure will take weeks, according to the commission's secretary, Dr Murray Power. Adair is also planning to mount a separate judicial review of the move to suspend his licence.
British soldiers and RUC officers had been on full alert in loyalist areas of Belfast last night in an attempt to prevent a UDA revenge attack. Condemning the shooting, the DUP Assembly member, Mr Nigel Dodds, said: "Everybody had hoped the police and army presence would give a breathing space but it is clear this feud has some way to go. It is appalling that people have been gunned down on the streets of Belfast in this way."
Mr Dodds said loyalist paramilitary leaders must immediately end the violence. "Ordinary people on the Shankill and other loyalist areas don't want their streets turned into killing fields," he said.
The double-glazing business of Mr William McCaughey, chairman of the Progressive Unionist Party's Ballymena branch, was attacked early yesterday morning.
Mr McCaughey said his office in Ahoghill, Co Antrim, was doused with petrol In Belfast, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive said 20 families in the Shankill area had asked to be moved since the start of the week. They said they had been made homeless through intimidation, primarily by the UDA.
Earlier, both the PUP and the Ulster Democratic Party, the UDA's political wing, had predicted more attacks. Mr John White, of the UDP, said UDA leaders were opposed to mediation until they had retaliated for Monday's double murder.
Mr Billy Hutchinson of the PUP said mediation should take place but he believed there would first be more attacks.