Gardaí investigating the murder of a 30-year-old man in Co Tipperary say they are keeping “an open mind” in relation to the shooting incident.
Some speculation suggested that Shane Rossiter, who was shot dead in the village of Golden early yesterday, may have been targeted by a drug-dealing gang from the region over a debt.
However, it’s understood gardaí have not ruled out other theories as to why Mr Rossiter was killed.
The body of the deceased, who was from Clonmel in Co Tipperary, is due to be released to his family later today or tomorrow morning to allow funeral arrangements be made.
Gardaí renewed their appeal for help with the investigation into the 30-year-old’s death and are particularly interested in a black car which is believed to have been at the scene early on yesterday morning.
They are also checking CCTV footage from the Golden area, particularly the area in and around Chapel Lane and Main Street, as well as people living and working in the village.
Investigators are also keen to talk to anyone who might have been passing through Golden - which is on the main road between Cashel and Tipperary town/Limerick - between 6 and 7am yesterday.
State pathologist Marie Cassidy performed a postmortem examination on Shane Rossiter’s body at Waterford Regional Hospital but the results have not been disclosed, “for operational reasons,” according to the gardaí.
“We’re keeping a totally open mind in relation to this,” one officer involved in the investigation said.
The car they are looking for is a four-door black saloon which it’s thought may have been used by two men to drive to the house in Golden where Shane Rossiter was recently staying.
Mr Rossiter was shot at least once in the stomach at close range after he answered the front door at the house on Chapel Lane in Golden, at about 6.30am yesterday.
There were four other people in the house at the time. He was brought by ambulance to South Tipperary General Hospital in Clonmel where he was pronounced dead.
Mr Rossiter had a number of previous convictions and spent some time in prison before going to Australia in 2008, but his family say he was not involved in serious crime.
He is known to have been traumatised by the death of his younger brother Brian (14) who was arrested under the Public Order Act on September 9th of 2002 and detained in Clonmel garda station.
Brian fell into a coma in his cell that night and died in hospital three days later.
His death was the subject of an official inquiry, an inquest and a High Court action taken by his family against the State, which was eventually settled.