Dissident republicans blamed for murder of man shot through window of his home in Donegal
he house outside Buncranna where Andrew Allen from Derry was shot dead last night
GARDAI have launched a murder hunt after a man was killed by a bullet fired in the front window of his home in Co Donegal in an attack linked to dissident Republicans. The 24-year-old victim, named locally as Andrew Allen, died instantly.
He is understood to be one of a number of people intimidated out of Derry by the so-called Republican Action Against Drugs group.
Gardai have cordoned off the area Links View Park Lisfannon, Buncrana, and the scene is being preserved pending the arrival of the state pathologist and a garda technical team.
Three men are said to have opened fire on the house shortly after 9pm last night.
A car was later found burnt-out in nearby Fahan.
The man was originally from the Waterside area of Derry, but had moved over the border to Buncrana.
Checkpoints were set up in the area immediately afterwards.
Gardai found a car burnt out near Fahan, near Buncrana later last night and believe it was used by the killers.
That scene is also being preserved.
A woman who was in the house in Buncrana at the time of the gun attack was not injured, gardai said.
Fr Michael Canny, who knew the victim, said the killers were imposing the law of the jungle.
He said they had no place in a civilised society and backed the appeals of politicians for anyone with information on the murder to assist police.
Fr Canny said: "Human life is sacred and the taking of human life by any group, for any reason cannot be justified.
"It is perhaps an opportunity for people to exercise authority, to control areas, to control territory, that is what is going on here. It is a kind of law of the jungle, of people trying to impose their will on other people.
"If people have allegations against people... then we have to go through the courts."
Sinn Fein TD Padraic McLoghlin said that the killing happened in a quiet residential area overlooking Lough Swilly.
He said the incident was “very disturbing” and called on anybody with information to make it available to the gardai.
Raymond McCartney, Sinn Fein Stormont Assembly member for Foyle, condemned the murder.
"There is shock in the community on hearing the news of the murder of this young man in Buncrana," he said.
"His life has now been cut short and a family has now been plunged into grief and despair.
"People north and south have rejected these actions; they need to stop immediately."
The SDLP's Pat Ramsey said the shooting was being blamed on the so-called Republican Action Against Drugs group.
"The community of Derry has suffered enough and it is time for these organisations to move on," he told the BBC.
In a separate set of shootings, dissidents were blamed for gun attacks on two bookmakers in Derry in the Racecourse Road and Central Drive areas. There were no reports of serious injuries but staff were left traumatised.
- Independent.ie reporters
