Shot teenager possibly a soft target in feud attack

THE Limerick teenager shot dead late on Wednesday night was possibly a “soft target” revenge killing for an attack, earlier that day, on members of a city feud gang.

Aidan Kelly, 19 from Moyross, was lured to a meeting on an isolated country road, three miles from his home. Hours earlier, a gunman opened fire on members of the Keane gang after they had peace talks with a leading figure in the Ryan faction.Gardaí believe Mr Kelly may have been singled out as a soft revenge target by the Keane gang for the earlier attack on their members.

The dead man’s father, Liam Kelly, at the family home in College Avenue, Moyross, said: “Aidan was the second youngest of our family, of four boys and one girl. Nicola, his partner is expecting a baby at the end of the month. We’re all devastated. You wouldn’t believe it.”

Aidan Kelly may have paid with his life for being pals with members of the two feud gangs, Ryans and Keanes. One source said: “He would have been known to have been associated with the Moyross Ryan gang, not in a major way but on the fringes. He also was known to hang around with members of the Keane gang in St Mary’s Park. The two gangs held peace talks in Moyross on Wednesday afternoon and shots were fired as the Keane gang members made their way back to St Mary’s Park through Moyross.”

Mr Kelly was not involved in the shooting but, according to sources, was a soft target for the Keane gang when they set out to settle a score over the attack. Indications are that he was lured to Blackwater to inspect a firearm — the rifle found near his body.

Mr Kelly was shot five times.

One bullet was fired into the back of his head at point blank range.

Gardaí are yet not satisfied the rifle, found beside the body, was the murder weapon. Ballistics tests have not been completed.

Mr Kelly’s silver Opel Astra (99 LK 4977) was found parked on the side of the road near the entrance to the lane where he was shot.

Supt Gerry Mahon, heading the investigation, said yesterday Mr Kelly was last seen alive a short time before he was murdered. He was spotted travelling in his car in the Blackwater area. Supt Mahon would not say if any other person was seen in the car with him.

There is also mystery about who raised the alarm.

The ambulance centre at the Mid-Western Regional Hospital received a call at around 10.45pm and sent two ambulances to Blackwater. They, in turn, alerted gardaí.

He was pronounced dead on arrival at Mid-West Regional Hospital.

The dead man was known to gardaí as a small time criminal.

The city gang feud is now a central focus of the garda investigation.

One garda source said: “Even though he was very much on the fringes of the Ryan gang, his murder would be seen as one up by the St Mary’s Park gang, even though he had very minor links with the Moyross gang.”

State pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy carried out a post mortem.