GARDAÍ HAVE launched a murder inquiry after a French man who was shot in the face and chest in Bray last week died from his injuries. Two men have been arrested for questioning about the shooting.
The dead man has been named as Charles Sinanannpayen (32), originally from Bordeaux, France, who had been living in Ireland.
His was the 13th gun murder of the year.
Mr Sinanannpayen had been in a critical condition since he was shot in the early hours of last Friday morning. He had been on a life-support machine since the shooting and was not expected to survive. He was pronounced dead at Beaumont Hospital at 2am yesterday.
Mr Sinanannpayen was not known to gardaí and had no criminal convictions in Ireland. However, he had an association with a relative of a major drug dealer in the Bray area who is currently living in Spain.
Members of that dealer’s gang were arrested for questioning about the murder of Séamus O’Byrne (27), from Drimnagh, Dublin, who was shot dead outside a house in Tallaght, Dublin, in March.
Gardaí believe the attack on Mr Sinanannpayen is linked to the drugs trade within the Bray area. They are working on the theory that the victim was targeted in a row over a drug deal. The men arrested are both from Bray.
Shortly after the shooting, at 1am on Friday, gardaí found two shotguns in St Peter’s Cemetery in Bray and discarded clothing. Gardaí are still awaiting the results of ballistics tests that might link the weapons to the murder.
The two arrested men are in their 20s. They are being held at Bray Garda station under section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act.
They are being questioned on suspicion of possessing firearms with intent to endanger life and can be held for up to seven days without charge.
Mr Sinanannpayen was in bed in an apartment he shared with his partner at Richmond Hill, Bray, when the attack took place.
He heard somebody outside his second-floor apartment and went to investigate. When he looked out his bedroom window, a man standing on an external stairway shot him. He was wounded in the upper body and face.
The injured man’s partner, who was in bed at the time, did not wake up. However, neighbours heard the shots and alerted gardaí.
Gardaí found the man injured and lying on the bed beside his partner, who was still sleeping.
Anyone with information is asked to contact gardaí in Bray on (01) 666 5300 or the Garda confidential line on 1800 666 111.