Co Down Shooting Victim Named Locally

A man killed in a shooting in County Down on Monday evening has been named locally.

Malcolm McKeown, aged 54, was targeted shortly after 9pm as he sat in his car outside a filling station in Waringstown.

The local man was found dead in his vehicle, which was parked at the rear of the petrol station on Main Street in the rural village.

Police are probing the death as murder and have appealed for witnesses to pass on any relevant information using non-emergency line 101.

DUP MLA Carla Lockhart offered her condolences to all affected by the death. She wrote on Twitter: "I would ask people to give the police the time and space to do their investigation. My thoughts and prayers are with the family affected by this incident. Anyone with information please let the police know."

Alliance representatives also expressed shock at the killing and condemned the actions of those responsible.

Councillor Eóin Tennyson and party justice spokesperson Stewart Dickson MLA said recent events- including an attempt to blow up police officers in County Fermanagh and a gun fired over a coffin in west Belfast- are reminiscent of past tensions felt in Northern Ireland.

"This is a shocking incident and people stunned by tonight's events," said Councillor Tennyson. 

"My sympathies go out to the loved ones of the deceased after this outrageous act of violence. If anyone has any information on this, I ask them to take it to police immediately."

Mr Dickson added: "There is no place for guns on our streets.

"Today alone, we have seen an attempted murder of police officers, a gun fired over a coffin and now a man shot dead. 

"They all hark back to our darkest days and will be condemned by all right-thinking people. We cannot allow those who are intent on dragging us back to the past to do so."



(JG/CM)