Gardai spent yesterday trying to piece together the last hours of a 21-year-old man found dead outside his home in Moyrath, Kildal key, Co Meath.
His body was found lying in the yard outside his home around 11.30 p.m. on Sunday. It is believed he died after being shot in the chest with a shotgun. A short distance from where his body was found, gardai arrested a man in his forties. He was being detained under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act in Trim Garda station last night.
A neighbour alerted the emergency services and two ambulances were at the scene when the gardai arrived.
Gardai went into the adjoining house and spoke to the man they subsequently arrested. A legally held shotgun and rifle were also seized along with ammunition.
The dead man's name had not been released yesterday because gardai had been unable to locate his father.
Gardai confirmed that two children aged between nine and 10 years were asleep in the house at the time of the shooting.
Gardai are investigating the possibility there was an argument before the shot was fired and are taking statements of witnesses who were at the house at the time. The assistant State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy, carried out a post-mortem yesterday afternoon. The dead man had lived most of his life in Trim and Kildalkey with his mother and her partner.
His mother was said to be distraught at his death and was helping gardai in their attempts to contact his father.
The man being detained can be held until tonight and gardai say that at the moment they are not looking for anyone in relation to the investigation.