Ex-IRA commander Gerard 'Jock' Davison shot dead in south Belfast

Police are looking for witnesses to city-centre shooting

Gerard 'Jock' Davison was a former IRA commander investigated for murder in 2005 (PA)

A former senior Provisional IRA figure has been shot dead in south Belfast.

The victim, named locally as Gerard “Jock” Davison, was shot several times at 9.15am on Tuesday in the Markets area of south Belfast.

He was reportedly a senior member of PIRA in the city before becoming a supporter of Sinn Féin’s peace strategy.

It is understood the victim, a father of three, was heading to a community centre when he was attacked.

The Nolan Show reporter Nicola Weir said: "There have been quite distressing scenes here.

"A number of children and adults arrived here, some of them running across the road screaming 'daddy, daddy'."

Davison was reportedly a Belfast IRA commander when 33-year-old Robert McCartney was fatally stabbed outside of a city centre pub. Davison was charged with his murder along with two other men but acquitted in 2008.

McCarthy’s family accused Davison of ordering the murder.

SDLP leader Alasdair McDonnell said: "This is a horrendous crime and those responsible have shown no regard for anyone that could have been caught in the middle of it during the school rush hour.

"Witnesses have described how the man was shot in the street.

"My thoughts and prayers are with the individual's family at this traumatic time.

"People here want to move on from the violence of the past. This community will reject those who bring murder and mayhem to our streets. I would appeal to anyone with any information to bring it forward as soon as possible."

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) told The Independent it could not provide any details on the incident at this stage.

The force said it is looking to speak to anyone who witnessed the shooting.

Additional reporting by Press Association