Gunman may not have intended to kill Warren

Gardaí are investigating whether a man fatally shot last Friday was the victim of a punishment attack that went too far.

Christopher Warren, who was on temporary release from prison, was shot in the stomach in the Broadstone area of Dublin’s north inner city.

Meanwhile, detectives investigating the separate gun killing of Edward “Ned” Hamilton in rural Kildare on Saturday morning are examining whether or not he was deliberately killed — rather than a victim of an accidental discharge.

Warren, a 35-year-old from Teresa’s Gardens flat complex in the south inner city, was a serious criminal, drug addict, and serial burglar and was hit by Operation Acer, which targets prolific burglars.

However, he was not considered a member of a criminal gang.

His younger brother, Paul, was shot dead nine years ago as part of the Crumlin-Drimnagh gangland feud, but gardaí do not suspect Christopher’s murder is connected.

He was out drinking with friends and associates for most of Friday. Later in the afternoon the group crossed the Liffey to the Broadstone area and went into a pub.

It is thought that at about 6pm, Warren was shot on Constitution Hill.

He managed to ring one of the friends he was with, and was taken to St James’s Hospital by car. He was dumped outside the emergency department.

The driver sped off before abandoning his C-class Mercedes on nearby Cork St.

Detectives suspect that Warren’s attacker may not have intended to kill him.

“It may not have been the full intention to kill him, more teach him a lesson,” said a Garda source. “Generally, if you want to kill someone it’s done to the back of the head, not in the stomach, which is a lottery. In this case, it hit the major organs and he died.”

Gardaí suspect the killing stemmed from a personal row Warren had with one of the group.

The friend who took him to hospital was arrested and can be held for up to seven days.

Gardaí suspect this man knows what happened, what the row was about, and the identities of those involved. It is understood that he has not helped detectives so far.

About 12 hours after Warren’s shooting, known criminal Hamilton, 33, was fatally shot at his home in Kilmeage.

Gardaí initially believed it was the result of an accidental discharge of a legally held shotgun during a drinking session in the house with friends.

But last night gardaí said they were now probing if he was deliberately killed.

They have spoken to most of those at the party, but are yet to interview one individual.

Gun killings: Timeline of murder

* Feb 2: Alan McNally, 36, shot dead at 1am in the Cappagh Nua pub in Finglas West, north Dublin. The drug dealer had only recently been released from jail for heroin dealing.

* Feb 7: Melanie McCarthy, 16, was shot dead while she sat in a parked car on Brookview Way, Brookview, Tallaght, south-west Dublin. The teen was not the intended target and two men have been charged with her murder.

* Feb 10: Andrew Allen, 24, shot dead in Buncrana, Donegal, by avigilante republican group from Derry.

* Mar 6: Gang enforcer Andy Barry, 31 and Lithuanian Zilvinas Varnauskas, 26, were shot dead in gangland attack in Kilcock, Co Kildare.

* Mar 8: Joseph Redmond, 25, and Anthony Burnett, 32, both from Dublin’s north inner city, were shot dead and the car they were in burned out in Ravensdale Wood, Co Louth.

* Sept 2: Robert Sheehan, 21, died after being shot outside Bunratty Castle Hotel, Clare. Sheehan stabbed a well-known criminal in Moyross last July. He was sentenced to two years for his role in the arson attack on siblings, Gavin, 4, and Millie, 6, Murray in 2006.

* Sept 3: Alan Ryan, 32, shot dead on Grange Lodge Avenue in Clongriffin, north Dublin. The leader of a Real IRA faction in north Dublin is thought to have been murdered on the orders of crime gang bosses.

* Sept 24: Gerard Eglington, 27, was gunned down in front of his children at his home in Portarlington, Co Laois. He was a senior member of one of the two feuding Crumlin-Drimnagh gangs.

* Sept 24: Hours after Eglington’s murder, drug addict Declan O’Reilly, from Crumlin, south Dublin, was shot dead in front of his son on South Circular Rd.

* Sept 28: John Wilson, 35, was shot dead at his home in Cherry Orchard, Ballyfermot, south west Dublin. One man charged.

* Oct 17: Shane Rossiter, 30, was shot dead at a house in the village of Golden, Co Tipperary.

* Nov 9: Former garda John Kerins, involved in criminality, was gunned down at his home in remote Cornaveagh, Co Cavan. The murder may be linked to the suspected murder of a man in Bailieborough, Co Cavan last year.

* Dec 4: Veteran crime godfather Eamon Kelly was shot dead near home in Killester, north Dublin. One man has been charged.