GARDAÍ BELIEVE the victim of the Republic’s latest gun killing was shot dead because he interceded in an attempt by attackers to shoot another man.
The deceased, Wayne Doherty, a 32-year-old father of two, was shot in the upper body at 11.30pm on Saturday outside his parents’ home at Oakview Way, Hartstown, west Dublin. Mr Doherty’s brother and sister witnessed the attack.
His death was the 16th gun murder of the year. Gardaí believe the late-night shooting is linked to a row at a social event in a west Dublin pub earlier on Saturday.
Detectives think some of the men involved in the row later went in two cars to Oakview Way with the intention of attacking the man with whom they had earlier clashed.
When the vehicles carrying the attackers reached Oakview Way, Wayne Doherty was on the street with his brother and sister outside their parents’ home.
A number of other local people had also gathered on the street. They had received information that the attackers were on their way to shoot a local man and they had gathered as a group to try to protect their neighbour.
Gardaí believe Mr Doherty knew some of the men in the two cars.
When he walked over to the cars in an attempt to try to prevent the attack on the target, one of the occupants of the two cars got out of his vehicle and fired two shots from a shotgun.
One round hit Mr Doherty in the upper body. When he fell to the ground wounded, the two cars sped from the scene.
Mr Doherty was taken by ambulance to Connolly hospital, Blanchardstown, where he died just after 5.30am yesterday.
The scene of the shooting was sealed off and underwent an examination by members of the Garda Technical Bureau. Mr Doherty, with an address at Beachwood Close, Blanchardstown, was not known to gardaí.
“We believe the killer was looking for somebody else and when the victim tried to stop the attack, they shot him instead. Mr Doherty was in no way involved in the row earlier on Saturday, in fact we don’t even think he was in the pub when that fight happened,” said a Garda source.
Local people said Mr Doherty had worked delivering bread and that he had an interest in boxing. He also worked as a pub doorman.
Gardaí want to talk to anyone who was in the vicinity of the scene of the shooting at Oakview Way between 11pm and midnight on Saturday.
Supt Dave Dowling of Blanchardstown Garda station said officers are particularly anxious to talk to the occupants of two cars seen leaving the estate at speed.
The scene of the killing, in a quiet residential area, remained sealed off yesterday afternoon. A large team of gardaí were carrying out door-to-door inquiries. Local people expressed their shock at the incident.
Officers from Blanchardstown station are investigating the killing, backed by members of the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
Detectives are expected to interview the people who were involved in the pub argument on Saturday, including the man who gardaí believe was the gunman’s intended target.
Anyone with information is asked to contact gardaí in Blanchardstown at 01-6667000.