A young man was shot dead near a Dublin creche today in what is believed to have been a case of mistaken identity.
The victim, in his twenties, was shot in the head by a killer on a bicycle in Lower Sheriff Street at around 12.30pm, police said.
He was rushed to hospital in a 'serious condition', but later passed away from his injuries.
The fatal shooting may have been a case of mistaken identity linked to an ongoing feud between two families, the Irish Mirror reports.
The gunman, who is said to have fired up to 10 shots 'indiscriminately', was seen cycling down the street after the horrific attack.
This afternoon, it emerged that children were preparing to go home from a creche just minutes before the shooting occurred outside Noctor's pub in Dublin's north inner city.
Workers in the North Wall Community Development Project (CDP) reported hearing a number of shots as youngsters prepared to go home and others were due to arrive within 15 minutes.
Witnesses said several more shots were fired as the gunman cycled down the street.
The victim was with a number of other people when he was shot outside the pub, less than 100 yards from the community centre and creche.
An eyewitness said the gunman 'fired up to ten rounds' indiscriminately.
Speaking shortly after the attack, they added: “It will be a miracle if the victim survives.”
The victim was treated at the scene for around 15 minutes before being rushed to Mater Hospital.
He died after two hours after the incident, a Garda spokesman said.
Geraldine Comerford, manager at the North Wall CDP, said: "It's really tragic. It was obviously very, very bad, but it could have been worse."
There was reportedly a lot of activity in the area at the time, with students leaving a Fas training centre just after the shooting.
Streets around the crime scene were closed for several hours for a technical examination while a blue forensic tent was erected where the man fell.
It is not the first time witnesses have reported seeing a gunman flee a broad-daylight murder on Sheriff Street on a bike.
Stephen Byrne, 32, was shot dead at the other end of the street near St Laurence O'Toole Church in July 2007.
Since the 2000s armed Garda patrols have been present in the area, a stone's throw from Dublin's IFSC, first to stem a bloody feud in a gang once led by Christy Griffin and as a bloody war between some members of the Hutch family and their associates and the Spain-based Kinahans worsened.
The more recent feud has been blamed for a number of gun murders, including one in Spain, two in Dublin and one in Ratoath, Co Meath.
Sheriff Street is about a mile from where taxi driver Eddie Hutch, brother of Gerry "The Monk" Hutch, was shot dead at his home off North Strand in February.
The Hutch-Kinahan feud spiralled into a killing spree when Gary Hutch was shot dead in an apartment complex near Marbella on the Costa del Sol last September.
His killing is believed to have been avenged in the Regency attack, which claimed the life of David Byrne, an associate of the Spain-based Kinahan family.
Within days Eddie Hutch was dead, and at the end of last month Noel Duggan, an old friend of suspected armed robber Gerry "The Monk" Hutch, was shot dead at his home in Ratoath.
Sinn Fein Dublin Central TD Mary Lou McDonald condemned the murder and called on people with information to go to gardai.
"This ruthless murder is another shocking incident which has taken place in broad daylight in the heart of our capital city," she said.
"The person responsible for this shooting must be brought to justice and I would appeal to anyone with any information whatsoever to bring it to the gardai.
"We cannot stand idly by while these gangsters walk our streets with impunity, while they take life without any fear of being caught and while they have our families and communities living in fear."
source uk mirror
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