A five-year-old boy became the latest victim of Limerick's violent feud last night when he was injured in a shooting incident on the south side of the city.
The young child was standing with a group of people outside a house in O'Malley Park in Limerick's Southill area when a gunman opened fire shortly after 7.30pm. The boy suffered a bullet wound to his upper leg and was rushed to the Mid-Western Regional Hospital where fortunately his injuries were described as "not life-threatening".
The boy was hit in the leg when a man armed with a handgun got out of a car and opened fire on a group of people gathered outside a house in O'Malley Park. The house, which is owned by a relative of the young victim, has been targeted before. However, it is understood that the little boy was not deliberately singled out but was simply in the "wrong place at the wrong time". A senior Garda spokesman confirmed last night that the shooting was part of the ongoing feud which has seen an escalation of violent incidents in recent weeks.
Last evening's incident was the third shooting in the southside of Limerick city this weekend alone. "What happened here highlights what we've been dealing with in recent weeks and how a young, innocent life was put at risk because of this feud and the reckless discharging of firearms," said Supt Frank O'Brien.
Last Friday night a man driving home from work on the Hyde Road was lucky to escape serious injury when shots were fired at his van, in what gardaí believe was a case of mistaken identity. Also on Friday night shots were fired at a house in John Carew Park in Southill at around 8pm.
Nobody was injured but a number of people were arrested and two men appeared before a special court sitting last night on charges relating to travelling in a stolen car.
Elsewhere, gardaí believe two drive-by shootings early yesterday in Dublin's north inner city are linked to a feud between families which began after a member of one family allegedly assaulted a woman from the rival family. The matter is due to come before the courts in coming weeks and gardaí believe the approaching case has heightened tensions between the families, resulting in the two shootings yesterday.
In the first incident a number of shots were fired at a house on Canon Lillis Avenue, Seville Place, at around 6am. The shots damaged the front of the house and a vehicle parked in the driveway. Just minutes later shots were fired into a house on nearby Kings Avenue, Ballybough, Dublin. The house and a four-wheel-drive parked outside were damaged. Gardaí believe both shootings are linked to the feud.
Anybody with information is asked to contact gardaí at Store St on 01-6668089 or on the Garda confidential line 1-800-666111.