A member of a prominent criminal gang is believed to have been the victim of yesterday evening's fatal shooting at a city-centre pub in Limerick.
The man, in his early 40s, was killed in the Moose Bar, Cathedral Place, at around 10 p.m. Two women, understood to be a mother and daughter - not thought to have been with the victim - were injured in the shooting.
The older, a woman in her 60s, was seriously hurt while the younger woman suffered minor injuries. They were taken to Limerick Regional Hospital where a spokeswoman described their condition early this morning as "stable". The victim's body was also removed to the hospital.
The shooting was carried out by two people wearing hoods using handguns. They immediately left the pub in a van and as they drove off, they fired shots indiscriminately through the windows of the premises as a warning to the occupants to stay inside.
It is not known if the women were injured as a result of those shots or by ricocheting bullets in the bar.
One witness said he was watching television in a nearby apartment with his girlfriend when they heard what they first thought were firecrackers. He looked out of a window and saw two figures in a large, red car parked outside the pub. One was firing shots at the pub and he noticed the flashes from the weapon as the car sped off. "It was like something you would see in a movie," he said.
Three bullet holes were visible in the pub's window panes. But the witness said he believed about six shots were fired. "The car went down the street like a bat out of hell. I made a 999 call. Nobody came out of the pub for an age," he said.
Supt Tony Kennelly, of Henry Street Garda Station, who is leading the investigation, appealed for witnesses to come forward. He said the victim seemed to have been targeted. The shooting is believed to be part of an ongoing feud between two rival gangs.