Man arrested over fatal shooting in west Dublin

A man has been arrested over a fatal shooting in Dublin that gardaí believe was a case of mistaken identity.

The man, who was in his 30s, was shot in the yard of a pigeon club on Shelerin Road, Clonsilla, Dublin yesterday evening. He had not been formally identified last night but was named locally as Keith Walker.

Gardaí believe he was not the killer’s target but was fatally wounded in a case of mistaken identity. He was shot in the head.

His body was removed from the scene by ambulance shortly after 10pm and was brought to the city morgue. A postmortem is due to be carried out.

A second man suffered gunshot wounds to the arm. He was brought to Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown.

Gardaí said a 32-year-old man was arrested in Co Meath this morning. He is being held at Blanchardstown Garda station under the provisions of Section 50 of the Offences Against the State Act 1939.

Locals at the scene suggested the gunman was dressed in women’s clothing when he approached the men and opened fire using an automatic weapon.

Gardaí are working on the theory that a man in his 30s from the west Dublin area was the intended target. However, it is believed the intended target was not present when the shooting took place. It is understood he has spent time abroad lately and that he is not in Ireland.

The intended target was one of a number of men questioned about the murder in May 2013 of a Lithuanian man.

Gintaras Zelvys had been heavily involved in organised crime in his home country before coming to Ireland and establishing himself as a businessman who ran second-hand clothes collection runs from homes throughout Dublin and surrounding counties.

The clothing was collected ostensibly for charity but was exported for sale in the poorer nations.

He was gunned down on May 1st, 2013, as he and his wife opened their business outlet on the Greenogue industrial estate, Rathcoole, Co Dublin.

The intended target of last night's attacked had also been subjected to a punishment beating by the Real IRA in north Dublin before its leader Alan Ryan (32) was shot dead in Clongriffin, north Dublin, in September 2012.

A local woman, who did not want to be named, said she was “shocked” by the incident.

“There is a creche down there and this is an area where children play, so it is very shocking,” she said.