The murder of 37-year-old Wayne Boylan in Warrenpoint, Co Down, was a crime of enormous brutality which demands a firm response from the authorities.
His girlfriend, Alice Louise Burns (21), remains critically ill in hospital after being struck in the face by shotgun pellets during the same attack on Friday night.
Police have indicated that the killing was not a case of mistaken identity and, although a motive has yet to be confirmed, there will be obvious fears about the involvement of a paramilitary group.
It is appalling that masked intruders should carry out such an outrage in a quiet residential area and it is essential that detectives who are pursuing a major investigation on both sides of the border are provided with every possible assistance from the public.
