Two held in Dean Johnson case

Gardaí investigating the fatal shooting of a criminal in Clondalkin last month made their first arrests in relation to the case yesterday.

Dean Johnson (21) was shot dead early on August 24th at Harelawn Green near his home. He was known to gardaí, but was regarded as a low-level operator in the drug trade rather than a major gang figure.

Senior gardaí said the level of violence in the killing shocked them. Johnson had been shot repeatedly in the head as he lay dying. They believe the gunman had at least two accomplices.

As part of the investigation into the shooting, gardaí at Lucan, assisted by local and national Garda units, carried out searches in Ronanstown, Clondalkin, Cabra and Kilcock yesterday.

A sawn-off shotgun, ammunition and some drugs were seized by gardaí and two men in their 20s were arrested. A Garda spokeswoman said they were being questioned and the outcome would inform whether they are to be treated as suspects in the killing.

They were detained under section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act and held at Lucan and Ronanstown Garda stations.

Shots to head
Johnson,

who was from Greenfort, Clondalkin, initially was wounded once in the upper body. After he fell, the gunman stood over him and put up to 13 more shots into him, mostly to the head.

Five days after his murder, another man, Jason Carroll (39) was shot dead outside his home on Cherrywood Drive, Clondalkin. One line of inquiry is that these two killings are linked.

The two men were known to each other and detectives are investigating whether Carroll and Johnson were engaged in a feud because Carroll believed Johnson had beaten up one of his young relatives.

Gardaí are working on the theory that associates of Johnson believed Carroll – who had close links to major underworld figures – was involved in his murder and shot him in revenge. This has given rise to fears of a new gang- related gun feud in Dublin.

Carroll was gunned down as he tried to run to the safety of his house where he had been living with his partner and children. Garda sources said they believed that the killing was well planned.