Two men were still being questioned by police last night after the killing early on Saturday of a young Catholic man in the Co Antrim village of Crumlin. The Loyalist Volunteer Force is being blamed for the attack.
Ciaran Heffron (22), a student, had been in a village pub with friends. His body was found by a passing taxi-driver at 3 a.m. He had been shot several times in the head. It is believed he was taking a short-cut home when he was killed.
Assistant Chief Constable Bill Stewart said it was reasonable to assume that it was a sectarian killing and described it as senseless and unjustifiable. The two men who are in police custody were arrested within hours and are believed to come from Antrim.
This follows the murder on Tuesday of a Catholic, Adrian Lamph, in Portadown, Co Armagh, which is also being blamed on the LVF, and has been widely condemned.
Mr David Ervine of the Progressive Unionist Party, which is linked to the UVF, said he believed the LVF was responsible.
The Northern Secretary, Dr Mo Mowlam, said she "condemned without reservation this brutal killing" and said those responsible would be brought to justice.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Andrews, described it as "a despicable act of brutality." The people who had carried it out were "intent on breeding fear and tension."
There was speculation that those responsible had earlier attended a loyalist rally against the peace agreement in Antrim town. Mr Reg Empey of the UUP said such rallies were "being used by groups to inflame the community," he said.