Gardaí were holding door-to-door inquiries in Ballyfermot, west Dublin yesterday to try to piece together the final movements of Mr Brendan Cox, who was shot dead in a gangland-style murder near his home.
Mr Cox (40), Cleggan Road, Ballyfermot, was shot twice in the back as he fled from his attacker along Clifton Road at about 7.15 p.m. on Sunday.
He was taken to St James's Hospital where he died a short time later.
A group of children who were playing nearby witnessed the killing, and gardaí believe some of them may help to identify the murderer.
A Garda spokesman last night said detectives were still pursuing a number of lines of inquiry.
While they would not confirm that the shooting was drugs-related, Mr Cox was known to local gardaí, having had a number of convictions.
Earlier yesterday, Det Sgt Hubert Collins of Ballyfermot Garda station confirmed that Mr Cox had been singled out by the gunman, who then turned and fled up Clifton Road.
"We are particularly anxious to trace the final movements of Brendan Cox. It would appear at this time he walked from Clifton Road into Clifton Drive with another man," said Det Sgt Collins.
A post-mortem on the deceased was carried out by the State Pathologist, Prof Marie Cassidy, at the City Morgue, confirming Mr Cox died from gunshot wounds. A description of the gunman had yet to be released by gardaí last night due to conflicting descriptions from witnesses.
He appeared, however, to have had his head covered with a black hat. He fled on foot after firing two shots from a pump-action shotgun.
The murder was the fourth gangland killing in the Republic this year. Last month, Mr Paul Warren (23), was shot dead while watching a football match on TV in a pub in the Liberties area of Dublin.
Also in February, Mr Kenneth Byrne (30), a heroin addict and a suspected drug dealer, was murdered at his home in Dolphin's Barn.
Last January, gardaí confirmed that the gangland murder rate was now slightly higher than it was in 1996 when the journalist Veronica Guerin was killed. A total of 17 people lost their lives in gangland murders last year compared to 10 in 2002.
The Labour Party spokesman on justice, Mr Joe Costello, said "the apparent indifference" of the Minister for Justice, and his Cabinet colleagues in the face of the mounting death toll was difficult to comprehend.
"There must be no question of turning a blind eye to these killings or regarding them as somehow less serious because some of the victims are believed to have been involved in crime. If we allow this attitude to develop, it will be only a matter of time until the gangs again turn their guns on a journalist, or a garda, barrister, judge or politician," said Mr Costello.
Gardaí at Ballyfermot are appealing for any witnesses to Mr Cox's murder, or for anyone who saw anything suspicious on the Clifton Drive/Clifton Road Junction at the time to contact them at (01) 666 7200.
