Gardaí in west Dublin are preparing for revenge attacks following the murder of a member of the Westies criminal gang.
Mr Bernard Sugg (23) was shot dead by a rival drugs gang, according to Garda sources who believe there will be imminent retaliation.
It was the 12th gang-related killing this year and pressure is mounting on the Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, to take tougher action against gang-related crime.
Mr Sugg died after being hit twice in the chest as he sat in the Brookwood Inn in Corduff, Blanchardstown, on Sunday night. He lived around the corner from the pub.
Although he had no previous convictions, he was known to gardaí. Local and Garda sources said he was heavily involved in drug-dealing, theft and protection rackets. They said Mr Sugg, who worked as a doorman in the pub and also drank there regularly, had a long-running dispute with a rival gang over criminal activities.
The situation escalated after he refused the rival criminals entry to the pub twice within a week - on Sunday night and two days earlier. A Garda source said: "Sugg was well known to us. He was responsible for much of the violence and drug-dealing in that area.
"He had at least 100 enemies, any of whom could have killed him. But the main suspects are another local gang with whom Sugg and his gang had clashed."
Local sources said the victim was shot in the stomach by rival criminals last year.
In Sunday night's attack, two men wearing balaclavas entered the Brookwood Inn at around 10.30 p.m. There were about 140 people in the pub at the time. At least one of the men produced a hand-gun and singled out Mr Sugg. Eight or nine shots were fired. The victim was taken to James Connolly Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead an hour later. A post-mortem will take place today.
Garda sources said they still had not established how the killers escaped but local people said they drove off in a dark-coloured car.
A 24-year-old male customer was also injured in the shooting. He was treated in hospital for a flesh wound to the foot but discharged himself shortly afterwards.
The Brookwood Inn was closed yesterday as forensic experts inspected the scene. Staff said they expected it to open by tomorrow.
Officially, the Garda said it was keeping an open mind about the shooting and was following several lines of inquiry, including that it was gang-related.
Insp Brian Sherry said it was a "horrendous" attack when people were enjoying a night out. He appealed for anyone who was in the pub or the immediate area when the shooting occurred to help gardaí with their inquiries. An incident room has been set up at Blanchardstown Garda station.