Police in the US believe a dispute between neighbours was the motive behind the killing of an Irishman in northern California.
47-year-old John Michael O’Sullivan, who was originally from Co Kerry but had lived in the US for the past 20 years, was shot dead on Sunday evening in Fiddletown, around 72km from Sacramento.
Mr O’Sullivan’s neighbour Kenneth John Zimmerman has been arrested and is being held without bail.
According to local police, Mr Zimmerman phoned the police to tell them that Mr O'Sullivan had driven a tractor through his locked gate, damaging his property.
Mr Zimmerman told police that Mr O’Sullivan struck him in the face and tried to run him over with the tractor.
He told the emergency dispatcher that the Sheriff’s Office should hurry up and get to his property ‘before I shoot him’.
Shortly after this call the police received a second phone call, this time from Mr O’Sullivan’s wife, who said she had heard several gunshots and could not locate her husband.
When police arrived at the property, which is in a remote part of Amador County, they found Mr O’Sullivan dead in his tractor with gunshot wounds.
Mr Zimmerman is being held in Amador County Jail.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said it has been in touch with Mr O'Sullivan's family.
