Gardaí investigating the shooting dead of a teenager in Dunboyne, Co Meath, in the early hours of yesterday morning have arrested two people in connection with the murder.
Yesterday evening, a man was arrested under section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act after he presented himself at Ballyfermot Garda station. A woman was later arrested in Clondalkin. Gardaí were last night seeking a third person in connection with the incident.
Garda sources earlier said they were investigating the theory that the shooting was linked to an alleged assault.
The victim of yesterday's shooting was a 17-year-old Nigerian national. He had not been officially named last night.
He was at home in his rented apartment at The Court, Dunboyne Castle, when two men called shortly before 2am.
The attackers gained entry to the apartment block and climbed the stairs to the first- floor apartment, which the victim shared with another man.
Gardaí believe the attackers made an effort to gain entry to the apartment. When this failed they discharged a shot through the front door, wounding the victim in the leg.
Gardaí were alerted to the shooting at about 2am and were on the scene within minutes. The victim was still alive when they arrived and he was taken by ambulance to Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown. However, while medical staff struggled to save his life for over an hour, he was pronounced dead at about 3.20am.
Gardaí sealed off the scene of the shooting and conducted a full technical examination. The victim and his family have been in Ireland for about six years. Family members were informed of the murder immediately. Sources said the gunman appeared to deliberately aim his shotgun at the victim's lower body in an apparent effort to wound rather than kill him.
Supt Charles Devine of Ashbourne Garda station, who is leading the investigation, appealed for anybody who was in the vicinity of Dunboyne Castle estate between 1.30am and 2.30am yesterday to contact gardaí.
"It is unexpected for something like this to happen in this particular area, there's no experience like this in the past," Mr Devine said.
Neighbours, shocked at the news of the teenager's death, said they were unaware of any unusual activity. One man said he heard some "banging of doors and yelling, but I didn't take any notice of it".
Anthony Ryan, who lives in a nearby apartment, did not know the teenager, but believed he had lived in the apartment for about two months. "I think there were five or six people and they had two apartments, one above the other."
Anybody with information on the murder is asked to contact Ashbourne Garda station on (01) 8010600.