Police have now officiallly confirmed that two men found dead in Glenarm sustained fatal gunshot injuries

NORTHERN Ireland’s state patholigist has confirmed on Sunday that two men found dead in a Co Antrim village sustained fatal gunshot injuries.

THE PSNI named the two men on Saturday as Arthur Gibson, 61, and Michael Murphy, aged 37.

The two men – a farmer and a farm worker – were found dead in Glenarm on Friday after the alarm was raised.

Police believe the deaths were as a result of a murder followed by a suicide.

Mr Murphy, a married father-of-four, worked as a farm worker for farm owner ‘Art’ Gibson.

It is understood the victims were pronounced dead at the scene of Mr Gibson’s farmhouse on the Feystown Road in Glenarm around teatime on Friday evening.

Both were well known and respected in the area.

Local farmers, devastated at the news, have been helping out to milk Mr Gibson’s dairy herd.

Forensic officers spent Friday evening at the scene carrying out a fingertip search.

They returned on Saturday to resume their searches.

However, detectives are not looking for anyone in connection with the shooting.

They are now following a definite line of inquiry.

A firearm was recovered from the scene for a forensic examination.

A post mortem carried out on the remains of the two men confirmed both victims died as a result of gunshot injuries

Uniform police were called to the farmhouse on the Feystown Road around 5.15 pm.

It followed an emergency call that both men had been found with fatal wounds.

The PSNI said: “An investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths is continuing.”

Local politicians on Friday night expressed their shock and horror at the double deaths.

SDLP councillor Martin Wilson said: “The whole community will be united in their sense of grief at this shocking and disturbing occurrence.

“Both men were well-known and their untimely deaths will be met with disbelief by those living in the community.

“All our thoughts and prayers are surely with the families at this very difficult time.”

North Antrim Sinn Fein MLA Oliver McMullan said people in Glenarm, a small village with a population of less than 600, were stunned at the double fatality.

‘People are just in disbelief. They are shocked and horrified at the news.

“It’s a very close-knit community in that Feystown area and everybody knows everybody very well.”

Mr McMullan said both of the men who died were well known in the local area and he expressed his sympathy to their families.