Gardaí investigating the gun killing of petty drug dealer Josh Itseli (20) in Dublin last week have ramped up their investigation into his associates and the gang they were attacking on the night of the fatal shooting.
Both sides in the feud are from Crumlin and other parts of southwest Dublin and gardaí are concerned both have access to high powered firearms, with a number of searches carried out this week trying to find more guns.
An AR-15, which is a military grade rifle, was used in the shooting in the early of hours of last Monday morning in Drimnagh that claimed the life of Mr Itseli. That gun was discarded in a hedge near the shooting scene and has since undergone technical examination.
Gardaí believe Mr Itseli, who was twice arrested for drug dealing in Drimnagh last year, was mistakenly shot in the head by his own associates because they lacked competence and experience in handling the gun they brought to the scene.
Two gardaí injured, one critical, after assault in Dublin city
Kyran Durnin case: Man with history of violence now suspect in murder investigation
The ‘Hawk Tuah girl’ went viral. You won’t believe what happened next – except, of course, you will
Pat Leahy: Smart people still insist the truth of a patent absurdity – that Gerry Adams was never in the IRA
That firearm appears to be the only gun that was discharged at the scene on Knocknarea Road, though a pipe bomb was also discovered. Gardaí believe Mr Itseli and four associates were planning to attack a rival faction by deploying the pipe bomb.
However, they crashed head-on on Knocknarea Rd with the other group and in the shooting that ensued Mr Itseli was fatally shot. Gardaí are very concerned that such a minor criminal gang was armed with an AR-15, was carrying a pipe bomb and wearing bullet proof items. The searches targeting those men this week were aimed and trying to uncover other firearms.
Three of Mr Itseli’s associates were arrested close to the scene where he died after they were encountered by the Garda Armed Response Unit when it arrived. Two of those men are in their early 20s, one with a reputation for extreme violence, and another was a teenager.
Gardaí have also since taken a statement from another teenager they believe was with Mr Itseli and the other three men in the early hours of last Monday, though he was not arrested on the night. He gave his statement voluntarily to gardaí this week.
It now seems certain the rival gang are not suspects for the shooting, with gardaí now convinced the gun was discharged by one of Mr Itseli’s associates. Detectives have not ruled out the possibility Mr Itseli was accidentally shot dead by his own gang, who then continued to fire shots at their rivals.
While the three arrested men were released without charge, gardaí are confident they will have sufficient evidence to bring criminal charges in the case. The clothing being worn by the arrested men was taken for examination while the gun and the crashed vehicles have also undergone testing.
Detectives believe the results of that evidence gathered, coupled with harvesting CCTV footage from the Drimnagh area and checking mobile phone data, will be enough to bring charges. However, they are also concerned more violence may flare as some of the criminals involved in the dispute are regarded as very reckless and lacking in strategic thinking.
- Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Find The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
- Listen to our Inside Politics podcast for the best political chat and analysis
