A well-known gangland figure in his mid-20s has died following a gun attack in Ballyfermot in Dublin this afternoon.
The shooting happened at 3.50pm on St Mary's Ave in Ballyfermot, near Ruby Finnegan's pub.
The man, wearing a bullet-proof vest, was chased down First Avenue onto some waste ground behind the pub before being shot dead by an assailant who is understood to have fled the scene on a motorbike.
Gardai responding to a 999 call discovered the man with serious injuries. He was subsequently pronounced dead at the scene.
The area has been sealed off and the State Pathologist's office has been informed.
A senior officer said the dead man was well known to detectives despite only having a string of convictions for minor offences.
“He was never done for anything major, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he wasn’t big,” added the garda.
The victim is from Dublin’s south inner city and part of the gang linked to the ongoing Crumlin-Drimnagh feud.
It is understood his murder may be linked to a a recent shooting in the Drimnagh area where a man was injured in the leg.
Two men on a motorbike are said to have chased the criminal before they shot him and fled.
Youngsters in the area said they saw the victim attempting to climb over a wall before he fell to the ground.
Sinn Féin councillor Criona Ni Dhalaigh said the shooting happened close to a pitch where children where playing at the time.
“There were a lot of children in there playing,” she said.
“This is in broad daylight, a built-up residential area.
A garda spokesman said when officers rushed to Saint Mary’s Avenue West they found the man had suffered serious injuries but he soon died.
His body remains hidden from stunned onlookers under a garda screen while detectives comb the area for evidence.
Gardai have asked anyone with any information to contact Ballyfermot Garda station on 01-6667200 where an incident room has been set up, or to contact the Garda Confidential Line on 1800666111.
Additional reporting: PA