A man suspected of being murdered in a house in Mountnorris has been named locally as Chrissy Burns.
Mr Burns, who was aged in his 40s and originally from Warrenpoint, was found dead in a bungalow in the Cusher Green area of the village.
A 39-year-old man continues to be questioned by police on suspicion of his murder.
The small tight-knit community are in a state of shock – reeling from a crime so far removed from their tranquil day-to-day lives.
Tributes have been paid to Mr Burns – with one woman describing him as “a sweet crazy boy” who had “a heart of gold…and I’m devastated to say the least”.
Another said she was “horrified” at the senseless killing of a man who did not have “a bad bone in your body”.
Many have described him as “a kind soul” and his passing will leave a hole in the lives of many who knew and cared for him.
Detective Chief Inspector Gary Robinson said on Thursday: “Although our investigation is at an early stage, we are working at pace to establish the circumstances surrounding the man’s death and to determine exactly what happened.”
Mr Burns’ death marks the 10th murder in Northern Ireland in 10 weeks.
Only yesterday (Thursday), Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said he considered drafting in detectives from elsewhere in the UK to help with murder investigations.
“Too many families are now grieving and attempting to come to terms with the appalling loss of a loved one in shocking circumstances,” Mr Boutcher told the Policing Board.
“At times like this when we stop to take stock of policing, we must not forget that.
“Our teams of detectives whose investigative caseloads are already far too high compared with other forces across the United Kingdom are working flat out to support those families to get answers and justice.
“They are doing incredible work but due to the high number of cases being managed, coupled with our low numbers of detectives, I considered seeking national mutual assistance for our homicide teams.
“Eventually,” Mr Boutcher said, “people are going to listen to the resourcing challenges of this organisation”.
