Village Shocked By Antrim Murder

Forensic detectives are continuing to comb the scene of a brutal murder in Templepatrick today, after a man was gunned down in the Antrim village late last night.

The victim, named locally as 60-year-old businessman Geoffrey Kerr, was shot dead on his doorstep at around 10pm.

It has been reported the man's wife and one of his four sons were inside the house at the time.

Police have yet to formally establish a motive for the attack, but local representatives said that a possible link to dissident republicans is not the "leading line of inquiry" at this stage.

Neighbours are said to have dismissed suggestions Mr Kerr, described as "happy-go-lucky", was a former security force worker.

The Lylehill Road area of the village remains sealed off as specialist teams carry out an inch by inch examination of the crime scene.

Antrim MP William McCrea said he hoped dissident republicans were not behind the shooting.

"Irrespective of who is responsible - we've got to catch them, we've got to take these killers of the streets of Northern Ireland," he said.

SDLP MLA Tommy Burns strongly condemned the murder.

He said the attack "brings you back to the old times, out late at night like this."

Local Sinn Féin councillor Annemarie Logue said details surrounding the murder were still sketchy.

"What we do know is that a family is this morning without a father," said Ms Logue.

"This is absolutely devastating news - Templepatrick is normally such a quiet area."

Police have appealed to anyone who witnessed suspicious activity in the area to contact them.

Detectives would particularly like to speak to anyone who noticed a dark saloon car, which had number of males on board close to the scene.

(PR/BMcC)