Man gunned down as baby escapes injury in separate city shootings

The victim has been named locally as Willie O'Brien.

The incident happened at a property at Beechfield Rise housing estate in Clonee near Blanchardstown at 10am this morning.

He was shot in the shoulder and stomach and it is believed he also suffered a wound to his hand.

He was shot three times through the front door of the home and the assailant is understood to have used a 9mm handgun and discharged four shots.

Gardai said the man, in his early 30s, is in a stable condition.

The attacker fled the scene in a getaway vehicle which was later found burned out at Scoil Grainne in Tyrellstown.

Emergency services rushed to the scene and the man was reported to be conscious when assistance arrived.

O'Brien, originally from the city centre, was rushed to Connolly Memorial Hospital.

Families

Local Fianna Fail councillor David McGuinness told the Herald that it was a "quiet neighbourhood," where the shooting occurred.

"Most families keep to themselves," he added.

Mr McGuinness said he knew the area well as he had lived there last year.

The laneway in which the get-away vehicle was found is adjacent to a laneway used to access local shops in Ongar.

"It's very dark and secluded," said Mr McGuinness.

He also stated, "this is the second use of firearms in the estate in recent times."

This morning's shooting follows an earlier unconnected incident. Two houses were hit in a shocking gun attack in Rathmines while a baby was asleep in one of them.

The neighbouring properties had their front living room windows blasted with a handgun in the incident which happened at 12.45am this morning.

There were people in both homes at the time, and neighbours say they do not know why the occupants would have been targeted in this way.

Local sources said a seven-month-old baby was asleep in one of the houses when it was hit.

forensics

Both homes were sealed off by gardai this morning as members of the technical bureau carried out a forensic examination at the scene.

Three bullet holes could be seen in the window panes and window frame of one house, while a gunshot also broke the glass in the living room of the house immediately next door.

Gardai this morning combed a public park directly across the road from the houses to try and establish if the shots may have been fired from there.

Neighbours reported hearing loud bangs at the time of the shooting, but said they were shocked to later learn that the noises were gunfire.

A motive for the attack was not immediately known.

A resident in one of houses told the Herald that she was in bed when she heard the gunfire but didn't realise her home had been hit in the attack.

"I have no idea what happened, or why," the woman said as she left the house.

A woman in the second house that suffered the most damage said whoever fired the shots must have mistaken the identity of the target.

"My mother and father live there, they got the wrong house," she said.

Gardai are investigating both shooting incidents.

hnews@herald.ie