Police in Northern Ireland say the murder of a man outside a Belfast school yesterday was an "absolute reckless act.”

The PSNI launched a murder probe after the man was shot dead in his car yesterday afternoon.

Police a searching for a man in his 40s in connection with the attack. He was wearing a hood and a high-vis vest with "security" written on the back.

PSNI Chief Superintendent Jonathan Roberts said the victim was sitting in his car when he was approached by a lone gunman who “shot him several times - including at least once in the head.”

“This is an absolute reckless act and there can be no justification for it whatsoever,” he said.

“This was carried out in the immediate vicinity of three schools. 

“There were a large number of schoolchildren in the area at the time and it is entirely possible that we could have had a seriously injured or dead child or children as a result of this terrible act.”

"Traumatised"

He said the victim was sitting in a red Porsche when he was shot and urged anyone who saw the car – or saw anyone acting suspicious around it – in the area yesterday to come forward.

“There is clearly going to be a significant impact on children in this area as a result of this incident,” he said.

“Children come to school and expect to be educated and not to leave school and see an incident of this nature and they will understandably be traumatised by this.

“This will also have an impact on teachers in the schools and the wider school community.

“The community of west Belfast do not deserve this and it will not deter the police from providing a service to the community that they expect.”

Chief Superintendent Roberts also called on anyone who may have dash-cam footage to hand it in to police.