The man shot in Limerick late on Thursday night is "critical but stable".Mr Joseph "Do-Do" McCarthy (30) was shot in the chest at point-blank range by two masked gunmen who forced their way into a house in Moyross on Thursday night.
A woman and four young children were also in the house.
Gardaí have ruled out any link between the shooting and the murder of Limerick crime boss Kieran Keane, who was shot dead last January.
They also have confirmed that a sawn-off shotgun was used in the attack, which took place at 10 p.m. when two gunmen kicked in the door of a house in Craeval Park in Moyross.
"There was a woman and four children in the house at the time but none of them were injured," a Garda source said.
The gunmen both wore balaclavas and left the scene on foot.
House-to-house inquiries were under way yesterday in the Moyross area but so far no one has been arrested in connection with the attack.
Mr McCarthy received serious chest injuries in the attack and last night was recovering at Limerick Regional Hospital.