The grandparents of a Limerick child who died in an arson attack last year were yesterday recovering from a terrifying ordeal after shots were fired at their home.
Gardaí said two shots were fired through the front door of the home of Nora and Jim Roche at Lenihan Avenue, Prospect, at 2.30 a.m. yesterday.
Reports said a lone gunman was seen fleeing the scene and it's believed that a shotgun was used in the attack.
The Roches' four-year-old grand-daughter, Katelyn Ryan, died in April 2003 following an arson attack on her home - just three doors away from the scene of yesterday morning's gun attack.
Earlier this month Patrick Slattery (23) was jailed for life for Katelyn's murder at the Central Criminal Court in Limerick.
There were four people in the house at the time of yesterday morning's gun attack - Mr and Ms Roche, their daughter, Alice, and her five-year-old son, Paul.
The young mother and son were lucky to escape serious injury as both had been sleeping in a downstairs room adjoining the front door which was riddled with shotgun pellets.
At her Lenihan Avenue home yesterday, Ms Roche spoke of the latest ordeal to strike her family.
"It was absolutely terrifying - my nerves are completely shattered with it. It's the first time our house has ever been shot at. I don't know the reason for it because we have never interfered with anyone," she said.
"We were very lucky that no one was hurt because my daughter and my grandson were sleeping downstairs. I never heard the sound of gun shots before until last night."
Gardaí at Roxboro Road were yesterday searching for a motive for the incident.
"We don't know the reason for the shooting and the people in the house don't know why it happened. We are appealing to people who saw a lone gunman fleeing the scene to come forward and identify him," said Det Sgt Tom O'Connor.