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13th Oct 2017

Tributes paid as Irish man, 25, shot dead in Canada

Two men have been charged.

Anna O'Rourke

“He was a wonderful fella. So kind and caring.”

The family of an Irish man shot dead in Canada have said they are “devastated” at his loss.

Tyler McLean, 25, from Newry had lived in Toronto for a number of years and worked as a club promoter.

He and a friend, 26-year-old Amir Jamal, were shot in the carpark of Rebel nightclub in the city on 1 October.

The pair had been at a leaving party for Tyler, who was due to return home to County Down the next day to start work at his father’s new technology company.

The friends reportedly got into an altercation with two men in the carpark, who then went to a car and returned with handguns, shooting Tyler and Amir.

Two men were later arrested and charged with second-degree murder.

“We are devastated,” Tyler’s father Hugh told The Irish News.

“He was a wonderful fella. So kind and caring.”

He and Tyler’s step-mother Mairead, as well as Tyler’s 14-year-old twin brothers and his 16-year-old sister travelled from Newry to Toronto for his memorial service earlier this week.

Mr McLean said his son had been “excited” about his new role in the family business.

“He was going to be the vice president of sales in the US and Canada.

“He was a great son and a great brother. We are shocked and just distraught. We thought Toronto was a safe city.”