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Belfast Live
Belfast Live
National
Jane Corscadden

West Belfast shooting: Man who died at Donegal Celtic social club named locally as Sean Fox

The man who was shot dead at a West Belfast social club on Sunday afternoon has been named locally as Sean Fox.

He had been drinking with friends at Donegal Celtic social club on the Suffolk Road when he was shot dead in front of horrified onlookers.

Police said they received a report that two masked men entered the club shortly before 2.30pm and "shot the man a number of times" before making off on foot.

Read more: Man shot dead in West Belfast social club

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

As he visited the scene on the Suffolk Road on Sunday afternoon, Sinn Fein MP for West Belfast Paul Maskey said the community was in shock.

He added: “My thoughts and sympathies are with this man’s family. I personally don’t know the victim but what I do know is that there’s a family there and our thoughts and our sympathies are with this man’s family at this stage.

“There is a family there and obviously they’re grieving at this particular stage and obviously they’ll be looking for assistance from the community as well.

“But there’s shock within this community and people are sending their condolences to this man’s family.”

Mr Maskey urged anyone with information to come forward to police.

“I condemn those responsible. There is no place for guns on our streets,” he said.

SDLP councillor Brian Heading said the incident has "cast a dark cloud over the entire area."

He added said: “My thoughts are with the family and friends of the deceased who will have been left devastated in the wake of this senseless attack and the loss of their loved one.

“This incident has cast a dark cloud over the entire area, people in this community want to be able to live their lives in peace and this shooting in broad daylight in a busy establishment must be condemned in the strongest possible terms by all.

“People are rightly concerned at the presence of gunmen on our streets and I would urge anyone who knows anything about this shooting to come forward to police as soon as possible. We need these people apprehended to protect the community and ensure that nothing like this happens again.”

Meanwhile, Alliance MLA and Policing Board representative, Nuala McAllister, has condemned the "sickening attack."

“I condemn this sickening attack, which has left the entire city shocked, particularly as it took place in the middle of the afternoon in public,” she added.

“My thoughts are with the loved ones of the victim, who have been left grieving following this brutal act, carried out by those who don’t speak for anyone in the community. Guns have no place in our society and the culprits need to be taken off our streets immediately.

“I appeal to anyone with information on this incident to take it to police right away.”

The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service received a 999 call at approximately 2:45pm following reports of the shooting incident.

They dispatched two emergency crews to the incident and also tasked the charity air ambulance, with HEMS crew on board, to attend.

A NIAS spokesperson told Belfast Live: "Following assessment and initial treatment, no patients were taken from the scene."

Emergency services remained in attendance at the scene, with police closing part of the road for a time on Sunday afternoon.

Detectives have since launched a murder investigation, with Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell saying in a statement: “The investigation is at a very early stage and I would urge to anyone with information or anyone who was in the Suffolk Road area at the time the shooting took place and seen two men running from the club or who may have captured dashcam footage to contact us on 101 quoting reference number 1120 02/10/22.”

"Information can also be provided online using our non-emergency reporting form via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/ Information can also be provided to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org/"

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