Police in Northern Ireland said Saturday that they arrested two teens in connection with the killing of journalist Lyra McKee, who was shot to death during local riots.
The police service of Northern Ireland said on Twitter Saturday that authorities arrested two men, ages 18 and 19, under the terrorism act.
Police said they had taken the men to a police station in Belfast, which handles serious investigations. Authorities said the two will be questioned in McKee’s killing.
The agency tweeted previously that it was treating the slaying as a “terrorist incident.”
Authorities said Friday they were attributing McKee’s killing on Thursday night to a militant group, the New Irish Republican Army.
McKee, 29, was struck by gunfire aimed at police officers Thursday night as law enforcement clashed with protesters in Derry.{mosads}
McKee, a freelance reporter, had written a book detailing disappearances that occurred during The Troubles, a period of civil unrest in Northern Ireland that was marked by bombings and other violent acts. Her work has appeared in BuzzFeed News and The Atlantic.
She was the first journalist to be killed in Northern Ireland since 2001, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
McKee campaigned for LGBT rights in Northern Ireland, which does not recognize marriage equality. In 2014, she published a letter to her 14-year-old self, titled “Kid, It’s going to be okay,” where she revealed her struggles with her sexuality.