Man seriously ill in hospital after scrapyard shooting

A man remains seriously ill in hospital after being shot in the chest in a west Dublin scrapyard today in what is believed to be a case of mistaken identity.

The man, in his early 40s, is expected to survive the injuries sustained in the attack at Cullen's Car Parts on the Greenhills Road in Walkinstown at about 11.35am.

He was treated at the scene by paramedics before being taken by ambulance to Tallaght Hospital.

Garda sources said a man armed with a shotgun made his way on foot into the premises and discharged a number of shots.

He fled the scene and got into a car waiting outside before being driven away by an accomplice at speed.

Localised feud suspected

It is believed the shooting is part of a localised feud between those who carried it out and a man they believed was on the premises at the time.

The injured man is a member of the Travelling community. Garda sources ruled out any idea that he was the intended target.

The gunman was described as tall and wearing a grey tracksuit. There was no description available for his accomplice who remained in the getaway car.

The vehicle, a Seat Ibiza - 97 D 44770 - was found abandoned at Corrig Close after the shooting, not far from the scene.

Gardaí from Crumlin appealed for anyone who may have seen the vehicle between 11am and 1pm in the Greenhills Road area to contact them.

Cullen’s Car Parts, a large breaker’s yard with stacks of old vehicles and doors, remained cordoned off this afternoon as investigators examined the scene.

It is understood no shots were fired in the yard itself and the office in which the incident took place was under examination.

Marie Cullen, who is related to the owner of the business, was in the back of her nearby house when the shooting took place and said she "heard nothing".

“I brought my granddaughter into the front room and we were looking out at the rain and we just saw the ambulance. I thought there could be a motor accident outside,” she said.

“The guards came in and they just said that there was a chap after being shot and that it wasn’t that serious and they just took my camera...

“Thank God there was no one really hurt. I think that’s the way things have gone now.”

A regular customer, Suran Karimi (28), said there was usually up to five people working at the yard.

‘It’s normal’

"To me it's normal. Because the society we live in today in Ireland, it's every day shooting - it's not just one area or two areas," he said.

“It’s kind of surprising it is in such a public area. The main road and a shooting is kind of scary, you know.”

Fianna Fáil Senator Catherine Ardagh was also at the scene. "There has been talk recently that nothing will be done [about gun violence] until it is an innocent bystander is shot in the cross fire," she said.

“I am hoping that the person today isn’t fatally injured.”