One of the men murdered, Aidan Moffitt, was a member of Fine Gael.
Leo Varadkar has said that he is shocked and worried following a string of murders in Sligo in the past few days.
The Tánaiste made the comments on his way into Government Buildings on Wednesday morning (13 April).
The Tánaiste has said he is 'shocked' and 'worried' following the death of two men in Sligo.
Leo Varadkar said one of the men who died, Aidan Moffit, was a member of the Fine Gael party and 'a branch secretary and a branch chairperson' | Read more: https://t.co/eWOdeT4FZ2 pic.twitter.com/u3V7Hexh3a
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) April 13, 2022
“I wanted to say some words about what’s happening in Sligo, and the death of Aidan Moffitt, who was a member of the [Fine Gael] party and a branch secretary and a branch chairperson,” Varadkar said.
“I just really wanted to say, I’ve been speaking to some of our members in Sligo last night, and I just wanted to say how shocked and how worried I am, actually, by the two murders that appear to have occurred in Sligo in the last couple of days.”
Taoiseach Micheál Martin shared his condolences with Moffitt’s family and friends in a tweet on Wednesday morning.
My deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Aidan Moffitt.
Deeply concerned by this horrific killing and reports of another violent death in Sligo this morning.
I urge anyone with any information to contact gardai.
— Micheál Martin (@MichealMartinTD) April 13, 2022
“My deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Aidan Moffitt,” Martin said.
“Deeply concerned by this horrific killing and reports of another violent death in Sligo this morning.
“I urge anyone with any information to contact Gardaí.”
Two murder investigations have been launched in the county since Monday (11 April), both of which involved the victim suffering what were described as “significant physical injuries”.
The body of a man in his 50s was discovered in an apartment in Connaughton Heights on Tuesday night.
Following intense local Garda activity and enquiries, Gardaí in Sligo assisted by the Armed Support Unit arrested a male in his early 20s in Sligo Town on suspicion of murder at 1.45am on Wednesday.
This man is currently detained under the provision of Section 4 Criminal Justice Act 1984 at Sligo Garda Station.
On Monday, Gardaí were called to a house at Cartron Heights at around 8.30pm where the body of Aidan Moffitt had been discovered.
A spokesperson said Gardaí are actively investigating whether there is any hate-related motive for this murder and if Mr Moffitt met his attacker online.
Meanwhile, An Garda Síochána also issued the following advice to the public in general when speaking with or intending to meet up with people they have met online:
- Get a face picture from the person you intend to meet. Be very cautious of a person who doesn’t share a recent face picture with you, particularly after you have shared yours.
- If they don’t want to share a face picture, consider asking them to go on a live video call. Many apps have this option built-in so you don’t have to share your mobile number.
- Ask for their social media handles. Do you have friends in common on Instagram or Facebook? Be wary of new accounts with low follower numbers and few posts.
- Let friends know where you’re going. Send a text to a trusted friend or include your live location in a group chat so you can be found if you need help.
- Meet in a public place first. Take a few minutes to chat and feel confident you want to proceed before going somewhere private.
- Think before accepting food or drink. Unless you’ve seen them prepare it, it’s best not to accept to avoid being spiked.
- If an emergency unfolds, call 999. If something happens, report it.
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