Two men have been charged with the murder of Belfast journalist Lyra McKee. The PSNI released a statement last night explaining “Detectives from our Major Investigation Team have charged two men with the murder of journalist Lyra McKee. Lyra was shot dead by terrorists in Derry/Londonderry in April 2019.”
This comes after the PSNI confirmed earlier this week that four men had been arrested under the Terrorism Act.
The PSNI says that the men, aged 21 and 33, have also been charged with possession of a firearm and ammunition with intent to endanger life, riot, possession of petrol bombs, throwing petrol bombs, and arson. The 33-year-old man has also been charged with robbery.
A third man, aged 20, has been charged with riot, possession of petrol bombs, and throwing petrol bombs.
Detectives from our Major Investigation Team have charged two men with the murder of journalist Lyra McKee. Lyra was shot dead by terrorists in Derry/Londonderry in April 2019 pic.twitter.com/wRXv32wDzH
— Police Service NI (@PoliceServiceNI) September 16, 2021
All three are to appear before Derry Magistrates Court this morning via video link.
A 19-year-old man, who was also arrested during the same operation, has been released pending a report to the Northern Ireland Public Prosecution Service.
The 29-year-old investigative journalist was killed by a gunshot to the head on April 18, 2019, while reporting on riots that had erupted in Derry city’s Creggan estate.
Lyra, who was deemed a rising literary star by the Irish Times, had only recently moved to Derry city to be with her partner, Sara Canning, after growing up in Belfast.
She had written a bittersweet message on her now-private Twitter feed, “Here’s to better times ahead and saying goodbye to bombs and bullets once and for all.”
In the days after her death, a dissident republican group, The New IRA, claimed responsibility for her murder.
Earlier this year the Justice 4Lyra campaign was launched by loved ones of the late journalist, encouraging anyone with information to come forward to help lead to a conviction.
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