Aidan Moffitt, 42 years of age, was found badly mutilated at his semi-detached home in Cartron Heights estate on the northern outskirts of Sligo town at 8:30 p.m. on Monday 11 April.

[5] At approximately 10:30 p.m. the next night, Gardaí were called to an apartment at Connaughton Road in Sligo, where a second man, 58-year-old Michael Snee was discovered dead with significant physical injuries.

At about 1:45 a.m., following what was described as "intense local Garda activity and inquiries", Sligo Gardaí, assisted by the Armed Support Unit, arrested a 22-year-old man on suspicion of murder.

[9][10] Gardaí were also investigating whether the killings were linked to a stabbing attack of another man in his 40s, Anthony Burke, in Sligo town which saw the victim lose an eye on Saturday 9 April.

[13] That afternoon, he was brought before a special sitting of Sligo District Court and was heckled and shouted at by a large crowd who had gathered outside the courthouse.

[24][25] Towns, villages and communities across Ireland gathered to pay tribute to the memory of Moffitt and Snee in the days after their deaths,[26] with vigils taking place in Sligo, Dublin, Limerick, Waterford, Wexford, Galway, Belfast, Cork, Kilkenny, Louth and Tipperary.