Fouth man held over Shankill gun attack
A fourth man has been arrested by police investigating the murder of Bobby Moffettt on Belfast’s Shankill Road, as the victim’s family held a vigil in his memory.
A 35 year old man was arrested in the Belfast area on Sunday night, a police spokesperson said.
Two other men are being quizzed over the killing.
The pair aged 25 and 31 were also detained in the Belfast area on Sunday afternoon.
A 49 -year -old man arrested on Saturday was released.
The 43-year-old was shot in the face and chest by two masked gun men in broad day light on Friday.
He was taken hospital but died a short time later.
Vigil
Floral tributes have been laid outside Westkirk Church, just metres from where the 43-year-old was gunned down in broad daylight.
It happened outside the Northern Bank building at lunchtime on Friday, while the street was packed with shoppers and children.
A 25-year-old man has been arrested on Sunday in the Belfast area – a 31-year-old man is still being held for questioning after being arrested earlier on Sunday, while a third man arrested on Friday has been released.
The anger in the community is palpable, with one woman telling UTV about the moment she witnessed the killing.
“Total shock in the community,” she said.
“I saw him lying in the road and I will never forget the look of that man’s face – never. It is just total shock … terrible.”
She added that it was very shocking for everyone on the street to see – including women and children – and described the victim as a “family man”.
“He was a family man, yes – stood up for his family and loved them very much.
“All the fella did was keep himself to himself.”
It is believed Mr Moffettt was a member of the Red Hand Commando and his killing has been linked to a personal dispute involving elements of the UVF.
“Bobby Moffettt was shot dead, but the whole community felt the impact of that,” one man told UTV.
“It’s like the Shankill bomb all over again – there were individuals who sadly lost their lives, but the whole community felt the impact of what happened.
“People are angry, they are angry at the paramilitary group that’s behind this and they may well be in denial, but they have been in denial for the last forty years anyhow so they have got good at that.”
He added: “People are angry and I would be asking those who are angry and are thinking of doing something in retaliation not to because that only increases the anger and the hurt and pain in the community.”
Hundreds of people turned out on Sunday evening at a vigil for the murdered man.
Messages left on the numerous bunches of flowers revealed a mixture of anger and grief at the shock killing, carried out at point blank range by two gunmen.
Police have described the shooting as “a cold-blooded, ruthless killing”.
