A WOMAN in her 50s and a man in his 20s are recovering in hospital after being wounded in two shootings linked to separate drugs feuds in Dublin city yesterday.
Detectives believe the gunman who targeted the male victim, a known drug dealer from Coolock, outside the busy Total Fitness gym on the Malahide Road in Coolock, intended to kill him.
The woman shot earlier in the day was wounded in the shoulder when a gunman discharged up to five shots from a handgun into her home during a drive-by shooting at Knocknarea Road, Drimnagh, at lunchtime.
Gardaí believe two men known to her, who are involved in a gang feud between two drug dealing factions in Crumlin and Drimnagh, were the intended targets of the attack.
The feud that they are involved in has claimed 10 lives in the past eight years, the highest death toll of any Irish gangland feud.
The two intended targets are close associates of the leader of one of the feuding gangs. The shooting of the middle-aged woman may lead to revenge gun attacks.
Gardaí believe a silver BMW found burned out near Walkinstown Road a short distance away was used in the shooting. It is believed two attackers were involved. One of the men is described as being 5ft 7in tall, 17 to 20 years old, and wearing a black floppy hat. The second man is described as being 5ft 5in, also 17 to 20, with short, brown hair and wearing a bright multicoloured waist-length jacket.
The victim of the shooting in Coolock was about to drive off in his blue Peugeot outside the Total Fitness gym beside Tesco in Clare Hall when his attacker struck at about 7pm. The gunman opened fire through the driver's door window of the car.
The victim, a settled Traveller, was wounded in the back. The gunman sped from the scene in a car, while the wounded man ran back into the gym looking for help.
One man in the area at the time told The Irish Times that the car park was full of shoppers and people leaving the gym when the shooting occurred.
"We saw the guy being stretchered out into an ambulance," he said. The victim is a member of a drugs gang from Coolock specialising in the distribution of cocaine. In January, gardaí from Coolock seized drugs from the gang valued at just over €2 million in two searches. The drugs were found during Operation Thaw, established by Supt Mark Curran to investigate drug gangs in Coolock.
During one of the raids, gardaí found what they believed to be a cocaine mixing plant where cocaine valued at €1.5 million was found along with glucose mixing agent, weighing scales and blenders. A gun, ammunition and cash were also found.
In the other raid, cocaine valued at €560,000 was found along with ammunition and cash. Twelve months earlier, in January 2007, gardaí seized cocaine and cannabis valued at €500,000 from the gang. On that occasion, two firearms were also found as well as assorted ammunition, stolen property and cash.