Man shot dead in west Belfast
A man has been shot dead in the North today.
The attack happened near the Peter Pan centre in Springfield Road, West Belfast, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said.
The road, one of the main arterial routes in the area, has been closed to traffic.
Police are investigating a fatal shooting in the Springfield Rd area of West Belfast this afternoon. One man has been shot dead.
— Police Service NI (@PoliceServiceNI) April 18, 2014
A PSNI spokesman said: “Police are investigating a fatal shooting in the Springfield Road area of West Belfast this afternoon.
“One man has been shot dead in the vicinity of the Peter Pan centre.”
The attack happened close to a supermarket on an industrial estate.
The largely-nationalist area of Belfast is mainly made up of tightly-packed terraced housing estates and businesses.
Colin Keenan, an SDLP Belfast City councillor for the area, said: “A fatal shooting has taken place on a busy through way. The family have just arrived.''
Mr Keenan said it was a horrific scene, with the dead man lying in the grounds of the industrial estate and exposed to view from surrounding residents' windows.
Relatives at the scene are devastated, he added.
A priest attended to pray over the victim.
The councillor added: “We have long hoped that the shadow of death had been lifted from West Belfast.
“Today’s event is a terrible, tragic reminder of the violent conflict of the past.”
