A man in his 50s was shot and killed by suspected gangland criminals as he opened his front door in Ballyfermot on Monday morning.
Gardaí are still trying to establish a motive but sources say the carefully planned nature of the murder has the hallmarks of organised crime.
Two gunmen fired at least six shots at the victim after calling to the door of the house at Croftwood Park in the west Dublin suburb.
It appears to have been a carefully planned attack. After the shooting the gunmen got into a waiting Ford Fiesta car and drove it to another part of the large housing estate before setting it alight.
They then got into a second car, an Skoda Octavia which was driven to Monksfield Lawns, Clondalkin, about 10 minutes away, before setting that vehicle alight too. Both vehicles were completely gutted.
The three locations have now been sealed off as crimes scenes pending forensic examination.
The victim was staying in the house with his elderly mother. It is understood he had been living in the UK until recently.
One neighbour in the quiet estate said the men appeared to open fire as soon as the front door was opened. “It didn’t matter who opened the door, they were going to shoot them.”
Another neighbour described being in her bedroom when she heard six shots or more and then a car driving away. She later observed the victim’s mother being escorted from the house by paramedics “in a state of shock.”
Paramedics attempted to save to man’s live as he lay in the front hallway but he was pronounced dead at the scene. Neighbours elsewhere in the development described seeing a Ford Fiesta car burning just after 11am.
The scene is currently undergoing technical analysis. The man’s body remains at the scene pending a visit by the State Pathologist.
On Monday afternoon residents gathered in their front gardens as gardaí moved in and out of the victim’s semi-detached house. Most said they knew little of the family. “They’re decent people. They were well liked,” said one woman.
Gardaí are appealing for anyone with information, particularly anyone who was in the area between 10.30am and 11.30am, to contact Ballyfermot Garda station on 01 666 7200 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.
