TWO MEN are recovering in hospital after being wounded in what gardaí believe was an attempted double murder bid in west Dublin. They both sustained gunshot wounds in the incident but are expected to survive.
The shooting occurred just after 9am yesterday on the River Road between Blanchardstown and Finglas.
The two victims were travelling in a van and had come to a stop when they encountered what they thought was a man carrying out work on the road.
The man standing in the road, who was wearing a high-visibility vest, walked over to the van and produced a 9mm handgun. He began firing, hitting the driver of the van in the side and chest.
The passenger in the van managed to get out of the vehicle and tried to run to safety. However, he was shot in the shoulder before managing to run into a field.
Gardaí believe the armed man then fled on foot.
A stolen Toyota Corolla had been parked across River Road to block any attempted escape by the men in the van.
Gardaí believe the Corolla was driven by an accomplice of the gunman and the driver collected him after the shooting before driving away. The Corolla was later found burnt out at Ballyboggan Road in Finglas.
Gardaí believe the attack was well planned and that the attackers had detailed knowledge of the movements of their intended victims.
Both of the injured men are from the Traveller community and are based in west Dublin. Gardaí believe the gunman intended to kill them.
Gardaí are examining if the attack was part of a personal row or if the victims had become involved in a dispute with members of a Finglas criminal gang.
One of the injured men had been repeatedly warned by gardaí in recent months that his life was in danger.
The men were taken by ambulance to Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown, where their conditions are stable.
Their white van has been taken away for forensic examination.
The scene where the attackers’ burnt-out Corolla was found was examined by members of the Garda Technical Bureau. The vehicle was also being examined.
The section of the River Road where the shooting occurred was also sealed off while gardaí searched for any weapon.
Gardaí have appealed for assistance from the public in their investigation of the shooting.
They want to speak to any motorists who were in the area and may have seen the gunman, who was pretending to be measuring distances on the road in preparation for roadworks.
Gardaí have also appealed for anybody else with information on the attack to contact them at Finglas Garda station.