Paramilitary Blamed in N. Ireland Killing

Gunmen shot a man to death early Sunday on the stairs of his Belfast apartment building in what police said appeared to be a punishment attack by a paramilitary group.

Andy Kearney, 33, was with his mother and 2-week-old daughter in his apartment in the Catholic New Lodge area when five men burst in shortly after midnight, shooting him in both legs, police said. Kearney died later of his wounds.

A police official said the attack appeared to be a paramilitary punishment shooting. But it wasn’t immediately clear if was carried out by the Irish Republican Army or by a splinter group.

Meanwhile, members of the Protestant fraternal group the Orange Order failed to reach a compromise with residents of Portadown who object to an Orangemen march through their area. Talks broke up early Sunday without agreement.