A man (40s) has been shot dead in Dún Laoghaire, Dublin.
Detectives believe the man was fatally wounded at about 8.30am on Sunday at Patrician Park, Kill Avenue.
“The body of the male remains at the scene and a postmortem examination will occur in due course. The coroner has been notified.
“The scene around a premises is currently preserved for examination by the Garda Technical Bureau,” Garda Headquarters said in a statement.
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Gardaí have established the identity of the dead man, who was from the south Dublin area.
Though the investigation is at an early stage, and no postmortem has yet been completed, gardaí suspect the man’s death may have arisen from an act of intimidation or punishment that went wrong.
The victim appears to have been shot in the leg, leading to a loss of blood that proved so significant he died. Gardaí suspect whoever shot him did not intend to kill him, though sources stressed the investigation was in the very early stages.
Road closures are in operation, including at Kill Avenue and Glenageary Road Upper. Local diversions are in place.
“A senior investigating officer has been appointed to lead the investigation and an incident room has been established at Dún Laoghaire Garda station,” the Garda added.
Gardaí are appealing for any witnesses to the incident to come forward.
The scene remains cordoned off on Sunday afternoon with local traffic diversions in place.
Fianna Fáil councillor Justin Moylan said there was a great level of shock in the community.
“It is a quiet, residential area and it’s something that would not happen in this area, ever,” he said.
“It would be an area that is quite prone to traffic but at half eight on a Sunday morning, it would be as quiet as any other Dublin suburb would be. You’re in proximity to IADT and the fire station and a new cycling park. It’s certainly not an area you would expect to see a fatal shooting in.
“It’s an awful tragedy for the family and a horrendous shock for those living in the area. Our thoughts are with the family at this time.”
Fine Gael councillor Frank McNamara said it was “shocking” and “completely out of character” for the area.
“This is a beautiful, quiet and peaceful area that has always been safe and this event is shocking because it is totally out of the blue and completely out of character for the area.
“That area remains quiet and beautiful and I think this must be a one-off event.”
An elderly local resident who has been living in the area most of his life also described the incident as “shocking”.
“I only heard about it on the news a few moments ago. It is a very quiet area with very nice people,” he said.
“It is terrible when something like this happens and my heart goes out to the family and people involved.”
Sunday’s gun killing comes at a time of relative calm in gun crime in the republic. Fatal shootings and other firearms offences - including possession or discharge of firearms - have plummeted since the Kinahan-Hutch feud petered out about eight years ago.
Last year marked the first year for decades in which no lives were lost in shooting incidents in the State, either through gangland attacks or domestic incidents.
However, gardaí have become increasingly concerned with the increasing level of violence in localised feuds in Limerick and parts of Dublin, which have involved a small number of non-fatal shootings.
The feuds in Dublin causing concern are between rival factions in Ballymun and another feud in Finglas-Blanchardstown.
More to follow.
