Buncrana gunmen 'imposing law of the jungle'
Killers who shot dead a man in Donegal are imposing the law of the jungle, a priest who knew the victim has said.
The man in his 20s, shot in Buncrana, was from the Waterside area of Derry and was named locally as Andrew Allen, who was one of a number of people intimidated out of the city by dissident republicans.
Fr Michael Canny said the killers had no place in a civilised society and backed the appeals of politicians for anyone with information on the murder to assist police.
Three men are said to have opened fire on a house on the Links View estate in Buncrana after 9pm last night. A car was later found burnt-out in nearby Fahan.
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.”
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.
Sinn Féin and the SDLP condemned the fatal shooting in Donegal and said the murder had plunged a family into grief.
Raymond McCartney, Sinn Féin Stormont Assembly member for Foyle, said: “There is shock in the community on hearing the news of the murder of this young man in Buncrana.
“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.”
