Republicans blamed for shooting of west Belfast man

Christy Mackin killed close to Belfast city centre in paramilitary-style assassination after allegations he had been dealing drugs

Henry McDonald
Guardian
3 Mar 2012

Republican paramilitaries have been blamed for the killing of a west Belfast man who was shot dead on Thursday night.

Christy Mackin was killed close to Belfast city centre in a paramilitary-style assassination. The victim, originally from the Whiterock area of the city, was shot up to seven times at close range at around 9.30pm.

Republican sources in Belfast told the Guardian it was likely that a republican organisation had targeted Mackin over allegations he had been dealing drugs. He was known to police.

Ambulance crews rushed to the scene and the victim was taken to the nearby Royal Victoria hospital, but later died.

People living in flats in the area reported that up to seven shots were fired during the attack.

The Alliance party assembly member Anna Lo condemned those behind the shooting, saying: “I am shocked to hear of the brutal and vicious attack on this man.

“I really do not know what would go through the mind of people who carry out attacks such as this shooting. Guns have absolutely no place on our streets.

“The people responsible for this gun attack are obviously very callous and dangerous individuals and must be urgently apprehended by the police. I would urge anybody with any information about this shooting to contact the police.”

Belfast’s Sinn Féin lord mayor, Niall Ó Donnghaile, said he was shocked by the killing and expressed sympathy for the victim’s family.

“A man has lost his life and people have produced guns on the streets of Belfast city centre, so it is a very worrying situation,” he said. “It’s a busy area. We’re quite lucky that we aren’t dealing with more fatalities.”

Republican dissident groups opposed to the peace process have previously targeted alleged drug dealers in Derry and the north-west. An organisation calling itself Republican Action Against Drugs crossed the border from Derry into Buncrana, Co Donegal, last month and shot Andrew Allen, a 24-year-old father of two, dead.

The group accused him of drug dealing and said he was on a death list which included five other named men. His murder provoked a cross-community protest in Derry, led by the veteran civil rights activist Eamon McCann.