Gardaí in Dundalk have not ruled out a subversive motive in the murder of a 42-year-old local man who was shot dead in the town last night.
A Garda spokesman said they were keeping an open mind on the motive for the shooting which was carried out by two men in a house at Bóthar Crinn, Saltown, Dundalk at 7pm.
The man who was killed had been visiting a woman in the house. He was shot in his side, and suffered a heart attack in an ambulance on the way to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, where he was later pronounced dead.
Gardaí “have not ruled in or ruled out” a subversive motive.
They believe the gunmen made their escape in a white Toyota hatchback, and last night appealed for anyone with information to contact them.
The deceased was known to them, and was acquitted of a charge of membership of the IRA at the Special Criminal Court in November 2006.
He was suspected of associating with Continuity IRA supporters in recent times.
Gardaí say they are particularly interested in the occupants of a white hatchback car possibly a Toyota Corolla or a Nissan Almera which was seen nearby around the time of the shooting.
It is believed that up to three men were involved in the incident. Two entered the house and the third waited in the white hatchback.
The men who entered the house were described a tall and wearing dark coloured hooded tops. When they left the house they jumped the back wall into the garden of another house and exited at the front of the houses.
They then jumped a stone wall on the Bellewsbridge Road, where the white car was waiting. This car then drove in the direction of the Fatima/Toberona Estate.
A post mortem examination on the body of the dead man, aged 41 years, began at 1pm today. The man was married with a teenaged son.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Dundalk Garda Station on 042 9388400 or the Garda Confidential line 1800 666 111.