The 36-year-old was gunned down by two men who forced their way into the Longlands estate on Thursday night.

Mr McKay rushed to the scene after he was told that his son, who was known as Danny boy, had been attacked. Initially he thought it was "a punishment shooting gone wrong", but he said it soon became clear that the men who shot his son "went in to murder him".

"My son was dead sitting on the settee. They murdered him and for what?

"The murder was carried out by evil people who've no regard for human life. What can be worse than murder?" he asked.

Police confirmed the victim was known to them and detectives investigating his murder are examining a possible link to drugs and the involvement of dissident groups. But his father has spoken out against the actions of those who killed his son.

"I would like to know why. I would like to know who. There are a lot of people devastated by this. No matter what he was, my son didn't deserve that. Not at all.

"They brutally murdered him. My son was shot in the head and shot three times in the chest and he was shot numerous times over his body.

To think about him lying in that house and you couldn't even go in and put your arms around him... it was difficult.

Danny McKay

"I thought these days were gone. These are the sort of things that went on in the 70s, 80s and 90s. Not now," he said.

Mr McKay admits his son dabbled with drugs, but as far as he knew that was in the past.

"I would rather see him in court charged with so-called drug offences instead of identifying my big son in the morgue. How horrific that was!"

The victim was well-known in the Newtownabbey area and Mr McKay described his son as "a big gentleman".

"Our family is totally heartbroken. People said Danny boy was a drug dealer but he was our big son, brother and father to his daughter of 12 and loving partner of Laura and her children," he said.

"Drugs aren't a nice thing and it's a problem in all working class areas, whether it be Protestant or Catholic but this isn't the way to deal with it.

"Is Longlands a better community now that they've taken my son? I don't think so," added Mr McKay.

MLA for the area, Gerry Kelly has called for the people who gunned down Danny McKay need to come forward.

"There's a human story behind these brutal killings," he said. "I think what we should demand is that whoever's doing these let them come out and try in some way to defend this killing. There's no defence for it," he said.

They are not showing any justice because we know that these organisations are also involved in criminality.

Gerry Kelly

"This is anti-community action. It's action which brings no benefit to anybody. If there are drug dealers in our society, if there are people who are involved in anti-community activity then bring them to the courts. Let justice be done."

On behalf of his family, Mr McKay appealed for anyone with information about his son's death to come forward.

"Let's hope and pray that these killers are caught quickly and taken off the streets before somebody else's son is murdered as well and let our family grieve over the loss of our big son."

Three people aged 28, 41 and 50 arrested over the weekend have been released unconditionally. A PSNI spokesperson said the investigation into the murder is ongoing.