GARDAÍ IN Dundalk launched a murder investigation last night after a 42-year-old local man was shot dead.
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 in the Salttown area of 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 on 042-93-88400.
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.
A postmortem will be carried out by the State Pathologist this morning at the Louth County Hospital in Dundalk.