Gardaí examining number of leads in relation to gangland shooting

Gardai at the scene this afternoon at the Hilton Hotel, Kilmainham, Dublin where a man was shot in the underground carpark of the hotel. Picture Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin

Gardaí are examining a number of leads in relation to a gangland shooting at an underground car park this morning.

The victim is understood to have been shot six times by a waiting gunman in the Kilmainham area of Dublin’s south west inner city.

Early indications were that the 41-year-old man would die from the injuries but reports later suggested there was a good chance he might survive.

It is understood gardaí have a car of interest they are trying to trace and have been harvesting CCTV from in and around the hotel and the various roads leading away from it.

It is thought that the victim made a brief comment to gardaí about who was behind it, but detectives are understood to be cautious about believing this.

This is the third time the man has been targeted in gun attacks, include a shooting last December when up to 10 shots were fired at him, inflicting serious injuries.

Today’s shooting occurred at around 11.30am at an underground car park at the rear of the Hilton Hotel, which is located on the busy junction of South Circular Road and Inchicore Road.

The hotel is across from major tourist attractions in Kilmainham Hospital and Kilmainham Gaol and only around the corner from Kilmainham Garda Station.

The target, who is from the local area, was using the Living Well Health Club, attached to the hotel.

“They knew he was going to be there, and at a particular time,” said one garda source.

Another source agreed: “They were waiting for him, no doubt about that.” Reports say that six shells were found at the scene and that the victim was shot six times.

He was brought the short distance to St James’s Hospital where surgeons fought to save his life.

He is in a critical condition and indications suggest he might survive.

Gardaí have a suspected getaway car they are looking for and are in the process of examining CCTV in a bid to trace its movements.

The Garda helicopter has been used throughout the late morning and afternoon as part of the garda search.

There are no reports yet of any cars being found burnt out that could be linked to it.

The victim was shot a number of times in nearby Ballyfermot last year. He survived that but suffered significant injuries and underwent operations as a result.

Gardaí in Kilmainham are investigating today’s shooting and a technical and ballistic examination was conducted at the car park.

Gardaí have appealed for any witnesses to come forward and are looking for road users in the area at the time who have camera footage, including dashcams, to contact them.

They can contact Kilmainham Garda Station on 01 666 9700, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.

Commenting, Sinn Féin councillor for Ballyfermot-Drimnagh, Daithí Doolan, said: "This morning’s shooting was wrong. It was totally wreckless and shows that these people will stop at nothing to protect their interests. It put many lives at risk. Tourists and school children were using the car park at this time.” Cllr Doolan, who is chairperson of the Dublin South Central Joint Policing Committee, added: "I would appeal to the Minister for Justice to wake up and rise to the challenge of gun crime in the capital. Particularly in this part of Dublin. We have long demanded extra Gardaí and extra resources to tackle the consequences of criminal gangs."