A man aged in his 20s has died in a shooting in Dublin, an incident described by the Republic of Ireland’s justice minister as “completely unacceptable”.
Gardai responded in the early hours of Monday to an address in Drimnagh in the south of the city following reports of shots being fired.
On arrival at Knocknarea Road, officers discovered a black Mercedes Benz and a black Volkswagon Golf, which appeared to have been in a collision, before finding the victim having suffered gunshot wounds.
Despite treatment, the man, aged in his early 20s, was pronounced dead at the scene.
A Garda spokesperson said officers also became aware of a potential explosive device on Knocknarea Court. It was made safe and removed from the scene by the Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team.
Three males – two men aged in their early 20s, and a teenager – were arrested by gardai on Slievebloom Road shortly after the reports of the shooting.
They were arrested under section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act and were detained at Garda stations in Dublin.
Minister for Justice Helen McEntee told RTE: “The attack in Drimnagh last night was completely unacceptable and is not something we will tolerate on our streets.
“I commend the gardai for responding quickly, resulting in the speedy arrest of suspects. Tackling crime and ensuring safer streets continues to be a top priority for An Garda Siochana and the Government.”
On Monday afternoon, the scene at Knocknarea Road remained sealed off.
Gardai said a number of other vehicles have been damaged on Knocknarea Road and remain part of the scene and technical examination, while another vehicle of interest – a silver coloured Ford Focus – was identified on Sperrin Road and was also subject of technical examination.
Superintendent Paul Maher said: “An incident room has been established at Sundrive Road Garda Station under the direction of a Senior Investigating Officer.
“A family liaison officer has been appointed and a formal identification of the deceased is still to take place.
“A number of scenes are now subject of technical examination by the Garda Technical Bureau, Garda Headquarters and Divisional Scenes of Crime Units.
“The office of the state pathologist and the Coroner have been notified.”
Gardai have appealed for any witnesses to the incident to come forward.
They have particularly appealed for any person with dashcam or other form of vehicle video footage and who were in the Knocknarea Road area between 11.30pm and 12.30pm on May 5/6 to make any footage available to An Garda Siochana.
Anyone with any information that can assist Gardai in the murder investigation is asked to contact Sundrive Road Garda Station on 01 666 6600, or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.
