A CO Down businessman has told of his devastation after his son and a friend were shot dead outside a nightclub in Canada.
Tyler McLean (25) was killed alongside his friend, Amir Jamal (26) in the car park of Rebel nightclub in Toronto on October 1.
The pair had been out with friends as part of a leaving party for Mr McLean who was due to leave for Northern Ireland the following day to start work at his father's new technology company in Newry, Co Down.
It is believed the friends were approached by two men at around 3am as they left the club and an altercation took place.
According to reports the men walked to a nearby vehicle and returned with handguns before shooting Mr McLean, who worked as a nightclub promoter, and his friend.
Two men were later arrested and have been charged with second degree murder.
Mr McLean's family, including his father Hugh, a former solicitor, and his stepmother, Mairead, who is from Portadown, travelled from the family home in Loughbrickland to Toronto in the wake of the tragedy.
His siblings, including his 14-year-old twin brothers, Ory and Aidan, who attend St Colman's College in Newry, and his 16-year-old sister, Falon, who attends Sacred Heart Grammar School in the city, also travelled to take part in a celebration of their brother's life, at Newediuk Funeral Home on October 9.
Friends and family of Mr McLean, who had lived for many years in Canada but attended St Therese of Lisieux Primary School in north Belfast when he was younger, will gather tomorrow night at the family home outside Loughbrickland to remember him.
Speaking to the Irish News last night, Mr McLean's father, Hugh said the family had been had been left "distraught" by events.
The father-of-four said his son had just returned from a holiday in Peru and had been due to leave Toronto on October 2 to take up the new role of vice-president at Eversafe Technologies in Newry.
"He was a wonderful fella. So kind and caring," he said.
"We are devastated. We went to Toronto and we had a memorial service for Tyler on Saturday and over 400 friends of his and relatives came and it was a great service."
Mr McLean said his son was "excited" about his move to Northern Ireland to start a new chapter in his life.
"He was going to be the vice president of sales in the US and Canada," he said.
"He and I were going off to massive trade show in England. He was jumping right in with both feet. He had done his training over the summer in both Canada and the US."
Mr McLean described what had happened to his son and his friend as "evil and tragic".
"He was a great son and a great brother. We are shocked and just distraught. We thought Toronto was a safe city."
