A murder investigation was under way on Wednesday night after a 17-year-old boy, believed to be from Ukraine, was stabbed to death during a violent attack at an apartment in north Dublin.
The property was being used as a residential unit by Tusla, the child and family agency.
Another boy was taken from the scene for medical treatment and gardaí are keen to interview him as soon as possible.
The apartment, at the Grattan Wood complex in Donaghmede, Dublin 13, was being run by a private contractor on behalf of Tusla. A care worker who tried to intervene was wounded in the hand.
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Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he was “shocked and saddened” at the killing of the boy, saying his “thoughts go to the bereaved family and those injured during this incident”.
The suspect is also from abroad, while two other boys, from a third country, were also present and are understood to have made efforts to stop the attack.
The victim suffered injuries to his head, hands and upper body, with a source describing a “very difficult” scene.
[ Teenager (17) dies following serious incident at emergency care facility in north Dublin ]
Tusla said the apartment where the teenagers were living was used by it to house four unaccompanied minors, with 24-hour support from staff.
It said the facility provided care to those seeking international protection. It said it was “co-operating fully” with gardaí investigating the killing.
An Garda Síochána said its members responded to calls for help at the second-floor apartment shortly after 11am on Wednesday. They found a “seriously injured male juvenile teenager”. Paramedics tried to save him, but he was “pronounced deceased at the scene”.
Its investigation was following a definite line of inquiry and gardaí were “not looking for any other person” in connection with the crime.
State Pathologist Dr Yvonne McCarthy visited the scene and carried out a preliminary examination of the dead boy’s remains there, before their removal just after 5pm for a full postmortem.
