A man died and two others were left injured following a suspected gangland shooting in north Dublin early this morning.
The attack happened shortly after 3.00am in an underground carpark at the Brookwood Abbey apartment complex on Brookwood Grove, Artane. Detectives are investigating if the men were ambushed.
Two of the injured men drove to nearby Beaumont Hospital in a BMW 7-Series car.
Gardaí responding to reports from the public found the third man lying injured on the footpath outside Our Lady of Mercy Church on Gracefield Avenue, which is adjacent to the apartments. He was taken to hospital by a Dublin Fire Brigade ambulance.
One of the men, a 22-year-old from north Dublin, was pronounced dead at 4.00am of multiple gunshots to the upper body. The two injured men, also in their early 20s, are suffering from gunshot wounds, which are not believed to be life-threatening.
Shortly after the shooting, a Northern Ireland-registered silver BMW 5-Series was found burnt out in laneway off Mount Prospect Drive, Clontarf. Gardaí believe this car was used in the murder.
Superintendent Mark Curran of Coolock Garda station said the murder inquiry team is being assisted by officers from the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the Garda Technical Bureau.
He said it appears the victims were shot in or near their car. It is not yet clear how many gunmen were involved, how they accessed the carpark, and whether they were lying in wait, he said. According to Supt Curran, a ballistics report is being drawn up to determine the type and number of weapons used.
He appealed for anyone with information about the shooting or the silver BMW to come forward.
Gardaí believe this morning’s attack may be linked to a violent feud between two gangs in Darndale. The man killed this morning was shot in the leg in March. The following day, rival gang member David Fred Lynch (26) was found dead. He had been shot three times in the head. It is believed today’s killing may have been revenge for Lynch’s murder.
A large area around the scene of today's shooting, which took place in a quiet, leafy neighbourhood, was sealed off while Garda forensics experts conducted an examination of the area.
Residents of the three-storey apartment complex expressed their shock. Violet McGowan said she was awake and heard a number of shots. “I heard moaning and someone banging against my window. I was afraid to look out. I didn’t want to see what was out there,” she said. People living in the complex were “gobsmacked”, she added. “Nothing like this has ever happened here”.
Audrey Chambers said she and her daughter were woken by shouting. She then heard “two loud bangs” and was “afraid for her life” following the incident. “It’s madness,” she said.
Massgoers at the nearby Our Lady of Mercy Church told The Irish Timesthey were stunned by the murder. "Three men shot near church grounds? Is nothing sacred?" asked one man.
Fine Gael justice spokesman Charlie Flanagan claimed cutbacks in the Garda budget and the “gaping holes” in the law have left criminals with “no fear” of the law. “They know that nine out of ten gun murderers will get away with it,” he said.
Local Sinn Féin councillor Larry O'Toole condemned the killing and said local residents would be "traumatised" by the incident and called for anyone with information to contact gardai. "It's pretty disturbing for the people who live in the apartment block for another incident to happen like this on their doorstep," he said.
It was the 12th gun murder in the State so far this year.