People in Tallaght are reported to be living in fear after a second shooting in the town in seven days.
Calls have been made for extra gardaí in the south-west Dublin town after a number of shots were fired in Bawnlea Avenue at around 9.45pm yesterday - a week after teenager Melanie McCarthy McNamara was shot dead.
Sinn Féin’s Sean Crowe said there is growing fear and tension in parts of Tallaght in the aftermath of her murder.
“Last night’s shooting has heightened those tensions,” he said. “Many people are living in fear in the midst of this ‘turf war’ in case their homes be targeted or mistaken as belonging to those involved or associated with these criminal gangs.”
Gardaí said a number of spent shotgun cartridges were recovered by investigators examining the scene of the shooting in Bawnlea.
No-one was injured and no arrests have been made.
Two cars, which gardaí believe were involved in the incident, have also been seized.
Melanie (16) was shot in the head as she sat in a car with her boyfriend and two others last Tuesday night.
The gunman, who had pulled up alongside the car at Brookview Way in a stolen black Hyundai Santa Fe SUV, opened fire with a shotgun before speeding off from the scene. It is believed her boyfriend was the intended target.
Mr Crowe, TD for Dublin South West, said extra Garda resources are needed in Tallaght.
“Residents want to see a more overt presence of uniformed gardaí on the beat on the streets and in the estates of Tallaght,” he said.
“Only then will people begin to feel safe in their homes and communities. The gardaí responded very quickly to last night’s incident and I welcome that but it highlights the extent of the growing problem.
“It also highlights the need for a new approach and a strategy to prevent more young people drifting into crime and joining these gangs.
“The formation of a multi-faceted approach including the community, state agencies, the local authority, the local drugs task force and its satellite services, youth, education, probation and welfare services to come up with practical solutions including jobs, is the way to tackle these problems.”
PA