Dublin shooting: Two gardaí shot by man who opened fire from house

A man has been arrested following an armed siege in west Dublin, during which two gardaí were shot and injured.

The gardaí, understood to be plain clothes detectives, were in a housing estate in Clonsilla when a man opened fire from his home on Tuesday evening.

They suffered non-life threatening gunshot wounds when they were fired upon with an automatic weapon.

The incident at Whitechapel Grove ended after an armed stand-off which lasted for several hours and involved specialist armed units, the Garda helicopter and the Garda negotiator unit.

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The suspect peacefully surrendered some time after 9pm following protracted conversations with a negotiator and was taken to Blanchardstown Garda station.

The Garda had requested a media blackout for the duration of the incident, which was lifted shortly after 10pm.

Gardaí initially went to the house to investigate reports of an incident. The suspect’s mother is understood to have been in the property on Tuesday evening when the disturbance began, but it is not clear if she had been harmed.

The suspect, who is known to gardaí, effectively barricaded himself inside the house and refused to co-operate with officers before opening fire on them.

It is understood gunshots were exchanged between armed gardaí and the suspect at one point.

At least eight shots were fired from the window of the house towards gardaí as they stood in the street. A weapon was recovered at the scene.

One of the gardaí was wounded in the hand and the other in the leg or foot. They are being treated at Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown.

The shots resulted in other gardaí on the scene diving for cover before a security cordon was thrown around the scene and nearby houses were evacuated.

A massive Garda operation was put in place and a large area around the housing estate was cordoned off as gardaí flooded the area.

Garda reinforcements, including uniformed gardaí in patrol cars and the Armed Support Unit, rushed to the scene while the Garda helicopter was also visible over the scene monitoring events on the ground.

One man, believed to be a Garda member, could be seen being carried from the scene by armed gardaí with a bandage applied to his left foot, apparently due to a gunshot wound.

Heavily armed gardaí could be seen in laneways and side roads around the house.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin last night said he was “shocked and deeply concerned” to learn two gardaí were injured in the course of their duties. He added: “I wish both gardaí a swift and full recovery, and I thank them for their service on behalf of the public.”

Minister for Justice Heather Humphreys said: "My thoughts are with the two members of An Garda Síochána who sustained injuries while responding to an incident in Blanchardstown this evening, and with their families."

She also commended all the gardaí “who were involved in ensuring there were no further injuries”.

She urged anyone with any information or footage to contact Blanchardstown Garda station.

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris also commended the officers involved and noted "the bravery of the two detectives who were first on scene".

“This was another in a long line of examples of gardaí putting themselves on the line to keep people safe. I want to wish them a speedy recovery,” he said.