Police forensics look for evidence at the murder Scene in Comber Street, Short Strand, east Belfast. Kevin McGuigan was shot outside his home. Photo Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Press

Police forensics look for evidence at the murder Scene in Comber Street, Short Strand, east Belfast. Kevin McGuigan was shot outside his home. Photo Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Press

Kevin McGuigan was shot at least six times outside his Short Strand home

Police forensics look for evidence at the murder Scene in Comber Street, Short Strand, east Belfast. Kevin McGuigan was shot outside his home. Photo Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Press

The murder of a father of nine in a suspected bloody feud between former IRA members was a "ruthless and premeditated" killing, a senior detective has said.

Ex-republican prisoner Kevin McGuigan, 53, was gunned down at point blank range in front of his wife Dolores by two masked men outside the couple's home in the republican Short Strand area of Belfast on Wednesday night.

Mr McGuigan was suspected by some in the republican movement of involvement in the murder of former IRA leader Gerard "Jock" Davison in the nearby Markets area of Belfast three months ago.

This has triggered widespread speculation the murder was a revenge attack carried out by Mr Davison's erstwhile associates in the IRA. If IRA involvement was proven there would be major implications for the peace process in Northern Ireland.

Stormont's First Minister Peter Robinson has warned Sinn Fein it would face expulsion from the power-sharing Executive if the IRA was responsible. However, Sinn Fein has vehemently rejected the suggestion of IRA involvement.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officer leading the investigation, Detective Chief Inspector John McVea, has revealed Mr McGuigan was spoken to by detectives probing the Davison murder, but as a witness not a suspect.

However, he did not go so far as to rule him out as a suspect.

"I am saying the investigation team into the murder of Jock Davison would remain open minded as to who is responsible," he said.

Earlier, he said: "I am well aware of the speculation throughout the Jock Davison investigation and what has been circulating in relation to Kevin.

"I would say that those who have that belief that Kevin was involved in Jock Davison's murder, anybody who can link him should contact detectives at Musgrave Street (PSNI station) and tell us why they believe so and produce me the evidence to back up that claim."

The IRA has been on ceasefire since 1997 and decommissioned its weapons in 2005.

Mr McVea said it was too early to say if any paramilitary group was involved in the murder.

"It would be reckless to speculate at this time as to the attribution of this murder," he said.

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It is understood Mr McGuigan had fallen out with former colleagues in the IRA a number of years ago. Between then and his murder he had also been shot in a paramilitary punishment style attack.

Around 9pm on Wednesday night the two gunmen approached their victim on foot in the Comber Court area of the Short Strand and shot him repeatedly in the head and chest. The killers, who were wearing dark clothes, ran off.

Amid fears of an escalation of violence, Mr McVea called for "calm and restraint" within the community.

"This was a ruthless and premeditated killing carried out in front of Mr McGuigan's wife Dolores outside their home," he said.

"Kevin McGuigan was the father of nine children. That extended family are at this moment struggling to come to terms with their loss. We want to bring them some solace by finding the people responsible for this brutal crime and bringing them to justice."

Earlier, Democratic Unionist leader Mr Robinson warned of political "repercussions" if it transpired the IRA shot dead Mr McGuigan.

Asked whether he was concerned about the suggestion of mainstream republican involvement, he said: "There must be concern about that. Obviously we want to let the PSNI carry out their investigations but we will want to talk to the police to establish whether there is any organisational involvement from the Provisional IRA, whether there was any decision that links the events of last night to the republican movement.

"If there is there will be repercussions. Legislation sets out the steps that should be taken but if any organisation has gone back on its ceasefire then very clearly there is no place for their representatives to be in the Executive of Northern Ireland and they should be expelled from it."

Sinn Fein's Alex Maskey denied the IRA was involved. He branded such speculation "unhelpful and unwelcome".

"I have no concerns about any IRA involvement in this whatsoever," he said.

"I don't accept for one second that the IRA has been involved in this, it just does not register at all.

"What I am concerned about is unhelpful speculation. We will be meeting with the PSNI shortly and what we will expect from the PSNI is a thorough and speedy investigation into events which resulted in the murder of a Short Strand citizen which has angered and hurt not only people in the area but much wider afield. It should not be happening and it needs to stop.

"It is unhelpful and unwelcome for people to enter into speculation. Whoever caused this killing should be and hopefully will be brought to justice as speedily as possible. We are calling for calm, we are calling for respect for this particular family at this time in the midst of their grief and we are cautioning against unhelpful and unwelcome speculation."