Gardaí investigating the murder of 35-year-old father of two Daniel Treacy in Limerick early yesterday morning have found a burnt-out car that they believe may have been used by the gunman.
The car was discovered in Ballybunion, Co Kerry this morning and gardaí are conducting forensic tests to establish if it was the one used in the murder. Yesterday, detectives said they were searching for a red Toyota Corolla - registration number 96 LK 1814 - as well as the murder weapon.
Gardaí are today continuing to question two men in connection with the murder. A man in his late 20s was arrested in Limerick at 10.15 pm last night while another man, aged 29, was arrested in the city yesterday morning.
Mr Treacy, from Rhebogue in Limerick, was fatally injured when he was shot by a gunman as he was making a bread delivery at the Topaz filling station and shop on the Ennis road some five kilometres from Limerick city centre shortly before 6.30am yesterday.
It is understood the gunman, who was not masked but was wearing a hoodie, approached Mr Treacy and shot him a number of times with a handgun just inside the main door of the shop and then made his getaway in a red Toyota Corolla.
Gardaí from Mayorstone Garda station were quickly on the scene and a doctor attended to Mr Treacy, but he was pronounced dead and his body remained at the scene until yesterday afternoon when it was removed to Limerick Regional Hospital for a postmortem.
Gardaí under Supt Frank O’Brien of Henry Street Garda station immediately began a murder investigation and, after studying CCTV footage from the filling station, detectives arrested a 29-year-old man on the northside of Limerick at about 10am.
The man was arrested under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act 2007, which allows gardaí to detain suspects for up to seven days for questioning.
Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis carried out a postmortem on Mr Treacy's body yesterday evening, and while gardaí have declined to reveal the results of the autopsy for operational reasons, it is understood that Mr Treacy suffered a number of gunshot wounds.
Supt O’Brien said that gardaí viewed the arrests as significant and he expressed confidence that with the support of the local community, the investigation could be successful. He cited the high success rate of gardaí in Limerick in solving gangland and other crime as he appealed to people not to take the law into their own hands, but to allow gardaí to gather evidence in the case.
“I would ask people not to jump in in any way and the best thing that people can do now is support An Garda Síochána – we have a strong record, we have been successful in the past and that success has been based on the support we are getting from the community.”
While gardaí are officially saying that they are keeping an open mind on Mr Treacy’s killing, they have indicated that they do not believe it is linked to the main feud in the city between the Keane Collopy gang and the McCarthy Dundon gang which has claimed up to 14 lives.
Mr Treacy’s brother Owen survived a murder attempt when he was stabbed 17 times on the night that his uncle, Kieran Keane, was tortured and shot by members of the McCarthy-Dundon gang at Drombanna in January 2002.
Owen Treacy was the chief prosecution witness in the trial of five men who were subsequently jailed for life in 2003 after being found guilty of abducting Keane and Owen Treacy, murdering Keane, and attempting to murder Treacy.
Initially, gardaí feared that yesterday’s killing may have been linked to that feud, but it is understood that detectives are less inclined towards that view and are looking at whether it may be linked to another killing in Limerick involving another one of Mr Treacy’s brothers.
Darren Coughlan (18), from Pineview Gardens, Moyross, died in hospital after he was attacked by a gang on Old Cratloe Road on November 4th, 2005.
Daniel Treacy’s younger brother Richard, together with his cousin Joseph Keane and Shane Kelly, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Mr Coughlan and was sentenced to six years in jail for his part in the killing of the teenager.
Gardaí investigating yesterday’s shooting have appealed to anyone who may have seen anything suspicious in the Ennis road area or have any information that can assist them to contact Mayorstone Garda station on 061-456980.