Gardaí are exploring approximately 300 lines of inquiry following the double murder in Ballymun, Dublin this week.
Officers investigating the killings of Annette Corbally-Devoy (48) and Clinton Shannon (30) on Friday moved to reassure the community in Ballymun that more Garda resources are being assigned to the area.
But Chief Supt Lorraine Wheatley also said the community had a role to play in preventing further bloodshed by supplying information to the Garda. "We have additional patrols in the area, including armed patrols," she said. "But if people have additional information suggesting there is any intention to commit more violence, we would ask them to come forward."
Gardaí, and many in the local community, are fearful Wednesday’s gun attack that claimed two lives and left three others injured represents a serious and sudden escalation in a feud that has been simmering in Ballymun for some time.
It is expected that the rival local criminal factions on both sides of the dispute will now become involved in a protracted gun feud.
Ms Wheatley added that a major inquiry was under way into Wednesday’s shooting incident on Balbutcher Drive, Ballymun, and gardaí are exploring approximately 300 lines of inquiry. She added the investigation team was now seeking to track the movements of two vehicles used by the killers. “I’d like to thank the community who have come forward with information already,” she said. “But I believe there’s lots of other information out there than can assist this investigation. An innocent young man and a mother of six have been killed.
“We’re appealing to the community to come forward and we’re particularly interested in the two cars.
“We’re very interested in the movement of the cars and any information people may have about the occupants of the cars; not only on the day but on the days running up to this attack,” she said.
A car found on Balbutcher Drive was a silver or grey Opel Zafira, registration number 08LS3101. The other car discovered at Santry Close was a black GTI Volkswagen Golf, registration 06LH3466. Efforts had been made to burn out both cars and they were both very badly damaged. Two firearms were found in the cars; a submachine gun and a 9mm semi-automatic handgun. Both guns were used in the attack.
The intended target was Ballymun man Derek "Bottler" Devoy. The 37-year-old is a well-known criminal. He has served several jail terms for gun crime, including armed robbery and a non-fatal shooting. His brother Michael Devoy was a suspect for a shooting outside a Dublin pub in 2013 in which three people were injured but survived.
Wednesday's attack was linked to a local dispute in Ballymun which has been escalating of late and saw a leading criminal shot and wounded recently. The gunmen who carried out last Wednesday's attack were sent to shoot Derek Devoy as part of that feud. He was bringing a young child to the house of Balbutcher Drive where his sister Antoinette, a mother of six, lived with her elderly mother. However, when the front door to the property was opened, two gunmen appeared outside and opened fire. Derek Devoy dropped the child he was carrying and ran to safety. However, his sister was fatally shot at the front of her house. And Mr Shannon was shot dead sitting in a car outside the house. He was a friend of Derek Devoy's and is believed to have driven him to the scene.
Mr Shannon was a locksmith with no criminal record and had an address in Swords, Co Dublin. Two other people, a 52-year-old male friend of Ms Corbally-Devoy, Brian Moran, and the dead woman's niece Andrea Devoy (18) were injured. Mr Moran was shot in the leg but is expected to make a full recovery, while Ms Devoy suffered grazes to her head.
The post mortems on the remains of the two victims have been completed and have confirmed they died of multiple gunshot wounds, including to the head.
The forensic examination of the scene by the Garda Technical Bureau has also been completed.
