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| Derry police blame dissident republicans for journalist's death | Derry police blame dissident republicans for journalist's death |
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| Police in Northern Ireland are blaming dissident republicans for the death of a journalist during shooting and rioting in Derry on Thursday night. | Police in Northern Ireland are blaming dissident republicans for the death of a journalist during shooting and rioting in Derry on Thursday night. |
| Lyra McKee, 29, who made her name writing about growing up gay in Belfast, and published investigative pieces with BuzzFeed and the Atlantic, died after being shot during a night of clashes in which petrol bombs were thrown and vehicles hijacked. | Lyra McKee, 29, who made her name writing about growing up gay in Belfast, and published investigative pieces with BuzzFeed and the Atlantic, died after being shot during a night of clashes in which petrol bombs were thrown and vehicles hijacked. |
| Witnesses said a masked gunman fired in the direction of police while journalists and members of the public stood nearby. Police called it a terrorist incident and said they had launched a murder investigation. | Witnesses said a masked gunman fired in the direction of police while journalists and members of the public stood nearby. Police called it a terrorist incident and said they had launched a murder investigation. |
| “A single gunman fired shots in a residential area of the city and as a result wounded Ms McKee,” the assistant chief constable, Mark Hamilton, said in a statement on Friday morning. | “A single gunman fired shots in a residential area of the city and as a result wounded Ms McKee,” the assistant chief constable, Mark Hamilton, said in a statement on Friday morning. |
| “Officers quickly administered first aid before transporting her in the back of a Land Rover to hospital. Tragically she died from her injuries. At this stage we believe her murder was carried out by a violent dissident republican.” | “Officers quickly administered first aid before transporting her in the back of a Land Rover to hospital. Tragically she died from her injuries. At this stage we believe her murder was carried out by a violent dissident republican.” |
| Hamilton said the New IRA were “likely to be the ones behind this”. | Hamilton said the New IRA were “likely to be the ones behind this”. |
| Saoradh, a fringe political party that reflects New IRA thinking, said blame for the events of Thursday evening lay “squarely at the feet of the British crown forces”. It added: “A republican volunteer attempted to defend people from the PSNI/RUC. Tragically a young journalist covering the events, Lyra McKee, was killed accidentally.” | |
| In a joint statement, the leaders of all of Northern Ireland’s major political parties condemned the murder “in the strongest terms possible” and added: “Lyra’s murder was also an attack on all the people of this community, an attack on the peace and democratic processes. | In a joint statement, the leaders of all of Northern Ireland’s major political parties condemned the murder “in the strongest terms possible” and added: “Lyra’s murder was also an attack on all the people of this community, an attack on the peace and democratic processes. |
| “We are united in rejecting those responsible for this heinous crime.” | “We are united in rejecting those responsible for this heinous crime.” |
| Theresa May called the killing “shocking and truly senseless”, adding: “She was a journalist who died doing her job with great courage.” | Theresa May called the killing “shocking and truly senseless”, adding: “She was a journalist who died doing her job with great courage.” |
| The Irish prime minister, Leo Varadkar, condemned the killing and said: “We cannot allow those who want to propagate violence, fear and hate to drag us back to the past.” | The Irish prime minister, Leo Varadkar, condemned the killing and said: “We cannot allow those who want to propagate violence, fear and hate to drag us back to the past.” |
| Trouble flared when police entered the Creggan estate, a traditional republican stronghold, at around 9pm to search for guns and explosives which they said were being stored for planned attacks over the Easter weekend, when republicans mark the anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising. | Trouble flared when police entered the Creggan estate, a traditional republican stronghold, at around 9pm to search for guns and explosives which they said were being stored for planned attacks over the Easter weekend, when republicans mark the anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising. |
| A crowd gathered and police said up to 50 petrol bombs were thrown. Two vehicles were hijacked and set on fire. By 11pm about 100 people, including journalists, had gathered on the streets when shots were fired. | A crowd gathered and police said up to 50 petrol bombs were thrown. Two vehicles were hijacked and set on fire. By 11pm about 100 people, including journalists, had gathered on the streets when shots were fired. |
| Leona O’Neill, a Derry-based journalist, tweeted she was standing beside McKee when McKee fell beside a police Land Rover. “I called an ambulance for her but police put her in the back of their vehicle and rushed her to hospital where she died. Just 29 years old. Sick to my stomach tonight.” | Leona O’Neill, a Derry-based journalist, tweeted she was standing beside McKee when McKee fell beside a police Land Rover. “I called an ambulance for her but police put her in the back of their vehicle and rushed her to hospital where she died. Just 29 years old. Sick to my stomach tonight.” |
| Mobile phone footage obtained by RTÉ News suggested there were at least two gunshots. The footage also showed two masked men appearing to pick up empty bullet casings. A male voice can be heard saying: “They’ve shot somebody.” | Mobile phone footage obtained by RTÉ News suggested there were at least two gunshots. The footage also showed two masked men appearing to pick up empty bullet casings. A male voice can be heard saying: “They’ve shot somebody.” |
| A resident, Emmet Doyle, said in a Facebook post that children were among those gathered in Fanad Drive when the shooting happened. “A masked figure stopped at the bottom of the road and fired shots up towards the Land Rovers. We all turned and ran, I stopped beside the Land Rover nearer the top of the street and a girl beside me dropped to the ground.” | A resident, Emmet Doyle, said in a Facebook post that children were among those gathered in Fanad Drive when the shooting happened. “A masked figure stopped at the bottom of the road and fired shots up towards the Land Rovers. We all turned and ran, I stopped beside the Land Rover nearer the top of the street and a girl beside me dropped to the ground.” |
| The New IRA is the biggest of the dissident republican groups operating in Northern Ireland. It has been linked with four murders, including the shooting of journalist Lyra McKee in Derry on Thursday night. | The New IRA is the biggest of the dissident republican groups operating in Northern Ireland. It has been linked with four murders, including the shooting of journalist Lyra McKee in Derry on Thursday night. |
| The group is believed to have formed between 2011 and 2012 after the merger of a number of smaller groups, including the Real IRA, which was behind the 1998 Omagh bombing. | The group is believed to have formed between 2011 and 2012 after the merger of a number of smaller groups, including the Real IRA, which was behind the 1998 Omagh bombing. |
| Its presence is strongest in Derry, north and west Belfast, Strabane in County Derry, Lurgan in County Armagh, and pockets of Tyrone. | Its presence is strongest in Derry, north and west Belfast, Strabane in County Derry, Lurgan in County Armagh, and pockets of Tyrone. |
| This year the group was responsible for a car bomb outside the courthouse in Derry. The explosives-laden car was left on Bishop Street on a Saturday night in January, and scores of people, including a group of teenagers, had walked past before it detonated. | This year the group was responsible for a car bomb outside the courthouse in Derry. The explosives-laden car was left on Bishop Street on a Saturday night in January, and scores of people, including a group of teenagers, had walked past before it detonated. |
| The New IRA also claimed responsibility for a number of package bombs posted to targets in London and Glasgow in March. | The New IRA also claimed responsibility for a number of package bombs posted to targets in London and Glasgow in March. |
| The shooting was condemned by politicians, including the leader of the Democratic Unionist party, Arlene Foster, who tweeted: “Heartbreaking news. A senseless act. A family has been torn apart.” | The shooting was condemned by politicians, including the leader of the Democratic Unionist party, Arlene Foster, who tweeted: “Heartbreaking news. A senseless act. A family has been torn apart.” |
| Michelle O’Neill, Sinn Féin’s deputy leader, condemned the killing and said it was a senseless loss of life by “so-called dissidents” who opposed the peace process. | Michelle O’Neill, Sinn Féin’s deputy leader, condemned the killing and said it was a senseless loss of life by “so-called dissidents” who opposed the peace process. |
| Karen Bradley, the Northern Ireland secretary, said: “Those responsible for last night’s violence have nothing to offer anyone in Northern Ireland. Their intolerable actions are rejected by the overwhelming majority of people.” | Karen Bradley, the Northern Ireland secretary, said: “Those responsible for last night’s violence have nothing to offer anyone in Northern Ireland. Their intolerable actions are rejected by the overwhelming majority of people.” |
| The US House of Representatives speaker, Nancy Pelosi, who visited Stormont on Friday to mark the anniversary of the Good Friday agreement, paid tribute to McKee. She said: “Sadly, we join you, on the sadness, the tragedy that happened last night, we extend our condolences to the family. Coming on Good Friday it is especially poignant.” | The US House of Representatives speaker, Nancy Pelosi, who visited Stormont on Friday to mark the anniversary of the Good Friday agreement, paid tribute to McKee. She said: “Sadly, we join you, on the sadness, the tragedy that happened last night, we extend our condolences to the family. Coming on Good Friday it is especially poignant.” |
| Séamus Dooley, the Irish secretary of the National Union of Journalists, described McKee as a journalist of courage, style and integrity. | Séamus Dooley, the Irish secretary of the National Union of Journalists, described McKee as a journalist of courage, style and integrity. |
| Lilly Dancyger, an editor who worked with her for an article on Narratively, said the news did not feel real. “Lyra McKee was dedicated to covering the lasting trauma and violence of the Troubles. Devastating to hear she was killed tonight by that same violence.”McKee became prominent after publishing a blogpost in 2014 called “Letter to My 14-year-old Self” in which she wrote about growing up gay in Belfast. It was turned into a short film. | Lilly Dancyger, an editor who worked with her for an article on Narratively, said the news did not feel real. “Lyra McKee was dedicated to covering the lasting trauma and violence of the Troubles. Devastating to hear she was killed tonight by that same violence.”McKee became prominent after publishing a blogpost in 2014 called “Letter to My 14-year-old Self” in which she wrote about growing up gay in Belfast. It was turned into a short film. |
| In 2016 Forbes magazine named her one of the “30 under 30 in media”, citing her passion for digging into topics that others did not care about. | In 2016 Forbes magazine named her one of the “30 under 30 in media”, citing her passion for digging into topics that others did not care about. |
| McKee went on to write a book, Angels With Blue Faces, and also wrote for various publications, usually long, investigative pieces. She recently signed a two-book deal with Faber & Faber. | McKee went on to write a book, Angels With Blue Faces, and also wrote for various publications, usually long, investigative pieces. She recently signed a two-book deal with Faber & Faber. |
| Her last tweet on Thursday read: “Derry tonight. Absolute madness.” | Her last tweet on Thursday read: “Derry tonight. Absolute madness.” |
| The New IRA has been active in Derry, Northern Ireland’s second city. It detonated a large car bomb outside the courthouse in January. | The New IRA has been active in Derry, Northern Ireland’s second city. It detonated a large car bomb outside the courthouse in January. |
| The group emerged in 2012 via a merger of several groups opposed to the peace process, including the Real IRA. It has been linked to the murder of two prison officers and several other attacks. | The group emerged in 2012 via a merger of several groups opposed to the peace process, including the Real IRA. It has been linked to the murder of two prison officers and several other attacks. |
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