Gardaí investigating the shooting of a 42-year-old man in Cork early on Friday morning have appealed to the public for assistance in tracing the whereabouts of a silver saloon-style car which they believed was used in the gun attack.
Detectives believe that the masked gunman jumped from the silver saloon car to confront the injured party as he walked into Wilton Manor on Cork’s southside. The incident occurred after 5am on Friday as the man collected his car to drive to his workplace in east Cork.
The gunman fired a number of shots from a handgun at the injured party from close range before jumping back into the car. The gunman and driver took off at speed out through Summerstown Drive and out on to Glasheen Road and the Wilton Roundabout before heading west past Cork University Hospital.
“Gardaí are appealing for information on the movements of a silver saloon car that was observed in the Summerstown Drive, Summerstown Road, Wilton Court and Wilton Manor areas at the time of the shooting. It’s understood this car then travelled from the scene in the direction of Bishopstown,” said the Garda.
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Investigators have begun harvesting CCTV footage from the Wilton Manor area and surrounding estates as well as along Bishopstown Road.
The injured party suffered a single gunshot wound to the stomach, but he managed to get into his car and drive himself to Cork University Hospital less than a kilometre away. He explained to emergency department staff that he had been shot before he collapsed into unconsciousness.
The man was rushed to the operating theatre where he underwent emergency surgery and where his condition was later described as “stable”. Gardaí say that the man was extremely lucky that the bullet that hit him missed all major organs.
Gardaí say that they are keeping an open mind as to a motive for the gun attack on the man, who is originally from the Blarney St area of Cork’s northside but has been living more recently at an address in Togher on the city’s southside, not far from where he was shot.
Investigators have set up an incident room at Togher Garda station and sources have indicated that they believe that CCTV footage from both the Wilton and Bishopstown areas could play a critical part in helping gardaí identify the culprits and solve the crime.
They are particularly interested in speaking to any motorists who were in the Wilton or Glasheen or Bishopstown areas between 4.45am and 5.45am on Friday and have dashcam footage to contact them at Togher Garda station on 021 4947120.
Garda technical experts recovered a number of items from the scene which they believe may assist them in establishing who was responsible for the shooting.
Officers also began door-to-door inquiries in the apartment complex and surrounding houses.
“Whoever was behind this had the area well sussed and knew the injured party parked his car there plus what time he went to collect it to go work so they knew his routine – we’re hoping that whoever was responsible may have been spotted when they were scouting out the area for the attack,” said a source.
