Gardaí in Co Clare have released without charge a teenager they had been questioning in connection with a shooting incident at a house in Kilrush over the weekend.
A front door was damaged and a dog was injured in the shooting which occurred late on Saturday night at a family home in the John Paul Estate in the town. The occupants of the house, which include young children, were not injured in the attack.
There have been at least four shooting incidents in the town in recent months. However, gardaí would not comment on whether Saturday's shooting was connected with any of the previous attacks. Saturday's attack is the second such incident in the John Paul Estate this year.
In June, a gunman opened fire on a house from a nearby field. The front door of the house was damaged but the occupants, a married couple with young children, escaped injury.
While gardaí would not confirm whether any connection existed between that attack and this latest incident, locals confirmed yesterday that it was the same house that was attacked in both cases. "We don't want to say anything because we'll get it next. The family are innocent people and have done nothing wrong. I don't want to say anymore. It's a disgrace," a local said.
Last month, Kilrush man Mr Anthony Kelly was shot in a late- night assassination attempt while he made a cup of tea at his home. No one has yet been charged with that incident which has also been linked to an ongoing bloody feud in Limerick. Mr Kelly has in the past been the subject of Garda and Criminal Assets Bureau investigations.
In March of this year, a young man was shot in the leg in a wooded area on the outskirts of the town. A number of people have already been questioned in relation to that attack and a file has been sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for consideration.
Also in March this year, three youths were arrested following a burglary at another house in the town. Two people, including a juvenile, are to appear in court to face charges in connection with that incident, in which a firearm was also used but not discharged.
The teenager at the centre of Saturday's shooting was released without charge late on Sunday night. However, gardaí have confirmed that a file is being prepared and will be sent to the DPP in due course.