X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, has removed video footage of a fatal attack following a Dublin gun attack but only after it was viewed hundreds and thousands of times.
The short video, showing the final moments of Tristan Sherry (25) as he was beaten and stabbed to death in a restaurant in Blanchardstown on Christmas Eve, has been shared widely on the platform in the last two days.
Sources said gardaí had made multiple requests to the platform to remove the distressing footage. However, it remained available until Wednesday afternoon.
Mr Sherry was killed after opening fire with an automatic weapon in Brownes Steakhouse on Blanchardstown Main Street and hitting a local man (47) in the neck. The victim, along with his adult son, are believed to have been his intended targets.
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Gardaí believe the attack is linked to a feud between criminals from the Corduff and Finglas areas and have put in place additional armed patrols to deter reprisals.
Footage of the aftermath of the attack, which showed diners fleeing the crowded restaurant with their children, was shared almost immediately on social media. On St Stephen’s Day, footage showing a bloodied Mr Sherry being attacked while on the ground, also began to appear online.
Other social media platforms seemed to move quickly to remove the content but it remained on X until late afternoon yesterday.
“An Garda Síochána is aware of videos of the incident and immediate aftermath which are in circulation on social media and messaging apps. We are appealing to the public for these videos not to be further distributed,” a Garda spokesman said on Wednesday.
X did not respond to a request for comment.
Gardaí and Government officials have expressed frustration with the social media platform recently over the prevalence of hateful content and misinformation on the site. Following the riots in Dublin last month, Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said the platform refused to comply with Garda requests to remove “vile” posts during the violence.
She said the platform, which was purchased by billionaire Elon Musk last year, “did not fulfil its own community standards”. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar branded the site a “sewer” this week.
“I don’t believe that Twitter, or X, implements its own community standards. Other social media platforms do, and I think if you’re not even able to live up to your own standards it doesn’t reflect very well on any organisation,” he told reporters.
Separately, an appeal purporting to be from a family member of Mr Sherry, has also been removed from the popular fundraising website GoFundMe. The appeal had raised several hundred euro for Mr Sherry’s funeral before its removal. GofundMe said it was removed by its organiser.
Gardaí have appealed for witnesses to the gun attack to come forward and are searching for a suspected accomplice of Mr Sherry who fled the scene in a car.
This article was updated on December 28th to correct Tristan Sherry’s age
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