It is good fortune that other people were not killed in a weekend gun attack in a Belfast social club which left a man dead, police have said .
The victim, named by police as 49-year-old Sean Fox, was shot several times by two masked men in Donegal Celtic Football Club in Suffolk Road on Sunday.
The club was busy with customers watching a football match on TV when the shooting happened.
Local representatives said the shooting had left the community in shock.
Detective Chief inspector Millar said: “Yesterday, two gunman entered the Donegal Celtic Sports and Social Club and shot Sean a number of times, as he sat enjoying a drink.
“This was a reckless act and there can be no justification for it whatsoever.
“This was carried out in a crowded function room where people were watching football at the time and it is only by pure good fortune other patrons were not injured or killed as a result of this disgraceful attack.
“The gunmen walked into the premises past several people before firing their weapons at Sean a number of times.
“Both men were masked, and I believe they made their escape on foot along Suffolk Road in the direction of Gweedore.”
He added: “I have a number of appeal points I want to make.
“I would like to hear from anyone who saw the gunmen as they entered the social club at around 2.25pm or a few minutes later.
“I am appealing to the community to help identify those who murdered Sean and put the lives of countless other people at risk.
“I am appealing for anyone who was in the social club at the time and has any mobile phone footage of the incident, or anyone who was on Suffolk Road around the time of the murder and may have any video footage or dashcam footage, to save that footage and to contact us on 101 quoting reference number 1120 02/10/22.”
People Before Profit councillor Matt Collins called the shooting “a horrific and appalling act of violence”.
“My thoughts are with the victim’s family and anyone impacted by this barbaric act,” he told the BBC.
“There’s absolutely no place for guns or violence in our communities.”
