A young man has been shot dead in Dublin in an attack bearing hallmarks of a gangland murder in what would be the first such killing in the Republic this year.
Gardaí conducting a murder investigation into the attack in Drimnagh in the early hours of Monday have arrested three men and seized a number of vehicles.
The victim has been named locally as Josh Itseli (20) who lived in the Kylemore area of Ballyfermot.
Gardaí are investigating if shots were fired from a passing car into another vehicle in which the victim was sitting on Knocknarea Road. It appears the victim’s vehicle crashed to a halt and further shots were fired into that car. Gardaí believe the gunmen then tried to escape from the area in their car but then crashed into several vehicles and had to abandon their vehicle.
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A major Garda operation was under way in the area throughout Monday, with several crime scenes sealed off. They include the location at Knocknarea Road where the crashed car the victim had been in was still visible. The nearby Our Lady of Good Counsel church was also sealed off as a crime scene as the getaway car used by the killers was left abandoned there.
The parish centre at the end of Knocknarea Road was also sealed off and it appeared some stray rounds from the shooting had been fired into it.
Residents living immediately adjacent to the murder scene were taken from their homes in the early hours after an explosive device was discovered in the area.
One local man who spoke to The Irish Times said people were alerted to the attack by the sound of a large number of gunshots. “You could hear it, ‘pop, pop, pop, pop, pop’. I saw one of them running, with a gun. And then of course there was loads of gardaí in the area, all over the place and blocking off the roads,” he said.
“It’s desperate to hear of a young fella being killed like this. And you’d never hear things like that the last few years. It all seemed to have completely quietened down.”
Other local people said they could hear the Garda helicopter overhead and some believed the killers’ car had sped down Curlew Road, to the junction of Knocknarea Road, meeting the car carrying the victim and opening fire on it.
Supt Paul Maher, of Crumlin-Terenure community engagement team, said that when gardaí arrived at the scene they discovered two vehicles – a Mercedes and VW Golf – which appeared to have been in collision on Knocknarea Road.
“A male in his early 20s was discovered with gunshot wounds,” he said. “Responding gardaí offered first aid and despite attempts by gardaí and Dublin Fire Brigade paramedics, the male was pronounced deceased at the scene and our thoughts are with the deceased’s family.”
An examination of the scene led to the discovery of an explosive device on nearby Knocknarea Court, with residents evacuated and the Army’s explosive ordinance disposal team called in. That device was made safe at the scene and is undergoing technical examination.
Sup Maher added when members of the Garda’s regional Armed Support Unit arrived in the area they encountered three men – two aged in their 20s and one a teenager – on nearly Slievebloom Road and arrested them.
As well as the two vehicles on Knocknarea Road, another car – a badly damaged Ford Focus – was discovered in Sperrin Road and was being examined.
Cllr Daithí Doolan, of the Ballyfermot-Drimnagh electoral area, said local people he had spoken to were very shocked the events in the early hours. He said the shooting would be condemned by all in the area, while the sympathies of everyone would go to the relatives of the victim.
“I was talking to residents this morning and they had their Bank Holiday weekend shattered by gunfire – the noise of a lot of gunfire here last night – and we wake up this morning to the news that this man had his life taken away as the result of gun crime.”
The Sinn Féin councillor appealed to anyone who saw anything to contact gardaí because the public could not be “held to ransom by gun crime and the criminals behind it”.
The body of the deceased was left at the murder scene overnight pending the arrival of a pathologist there to carry out a preliminary examination before a full postmortem later in the day.
The attack occurred at about 12.15am at Knocknarea Road. The young man was wounded and died from his injuries at the scene, according to gardaí.
Gardaí rushed to the scene and sealed if off immediately when they arrived, with the crime scene cordon remaining in place early on Monday as the Garda Technical Bureau began an examination.
“Three males have been arrested as part of this investigation and they are currently being detained at Garda stations in the Dublin region under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act 1939,” the Garda said, in a statement.
The investigation into the incident is being led by a senior investigating officer and an incident room has been established at Sundrive Road Garda Station.
Gardaí are appealing for any potential witnesses to come forward. Anyone who feels they may have information that could aid the inquiry was asked to contact Sundrive Road Garda station on (01) 666 6600, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any garda station.
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