The tranquillity of the normally quiet streets of Pembroke was shattered yesterday morning when a man was shot dead in front of his partner and her two children, aged 11 and eight, as the group were leaving Mass.

The victim was identified as Louis Ellul, a 34-year-old from St Paul's Bay.

The incident took place at around 11.30am as the deceased, his partner and two children were making their way toward their car after the 10.45 Mass they heard at Pembroke’s Church of the Resurrected Christ.

The shooter, alleged to be the woman’s estranged husband, appears to have been sitting in wait in his vehicle just around the corner from the church. The perpetrator, witnesses said yesterday, was waiting just across the street from the victim’s car – parked in front of a playground on Patri Tonin Barthet Street.

As the group came into sight, the shooter is said to have called out to the children, believed to be his own, telling them to move away, which they fortunately did. The assailant then raised a shotgun and fired three rounds at the victim in the direction of the playground. The shooter drove away from the scene immediately.

Later in the day the police confirmed they had a 59-year-old man from St Paul’s Bay in custody who was helping them with their investigations.

The 11-year-old girl and eight-year-old boy – who were with their mother and the victim – were visibly distraught after the horrific scene they had witnessed.

Sources close to the family say there had been a history of threats, on the part of the estranged husband, against his wife’s partner over the last five years since the couple parted ways.

Paramedics arriving on site certified the victim dead, while a young female bystander, a 14-year-old from Pembroke, was also injured in the incident and was taken to the hospital where she was treated for slight injuries.

The incident shook up the community on an otherwise quiet Sunday morning. Several residents of the area, including family members, stood by waiting for information.

Two bouquets of poinsettias were found left on the pavement in the vicinity of where the shooter's car was parked. The bouquets were collected as evidence, although it is thought they may have been dropped by a startled witness.

The police mounted an intensive search for the perpetrator and his vehicle. Related investigations by the police were also in hand.

Duty Magistrate Dr Antonio Micallef Trigona was informed of the incident and appointed various experts to perform an on-site inquiry.