A man shot dead outside his Dublin home in the early hours of Sunday morning has been named as 49-year-old Michael Tormey. The married father of two had no known involvement in crime and there was no information before his killing that his life was in danger.
Mr Tormey's remains were found just after 5am on Sunday outside his home on Thomond Road, Ballyfermot, Dublin 10. He had been out socialising on Saturday night with members of his family and others and in the period after returning to his house he was shot dead.
The investigating team is trying to piece together the dead man’s final movements as he socialised on Saturday night and into the early hours of Sunday morning and as he returned to his home. Detectives in Ballyfermot were still trying to determine a firm motive for the murder as Mr Tormey had never attracted attention from gardaí.
Gardaí believe few local people from the area heard the fatal shots being fired, with local people learning of the shooting only as emergency vehicles arrived on the scene or when they awoke later on Sunday morning.
Local Sinn Féin councillor Daithí Doolan said the killing had shocked people in the area, adding those responsible must be brought to justice. He described it as a “violent attack, committed against the whole community”.
“Those involved must be apprehended and face justice. Tackling gun crime must now be a priority for this Government.”
The Minister for Justice and the Garda Commissioner must “immediately prioritise tackling gun crime in Ballyfermot”, said Cllr Doolan. “We need more Garda resources deployed. I’m not saying wait till the next round of recruitment; this needs to happen now as a matter of urgency. This community has suffered violence for too long and is crying out for adequate policing.”
Appeal for information
Gardaí have appealed for information from anyone who may have seen anything suspicious on Thomond Road and surrounding streets from 3.30am on Sunday. Mr Tormey was shot at about 5am and gardaí believe the 999 call that raised the alarm was made immediately after the fatal shots were fired.
Mr Tormey had been shot several times in an attack that appears to have taken place outside his house as his wife and children slept inside the terraced property. The murder was the first gun killing of 2022 in the Republic and after a period during which gun crime has plummeted during the pandemic. There were four gun killings in the Republic last year, just one of which was attributed to organised crime.
Mr Tormey was pronounced dead at the scene and the area was immediately sealed off as a crime scene and a murder investigation began.
State Pathologist Margot Bolster carried out a preliminary examination of the body at the scene on Sunday morning. The remains were removed just before midday for a full postmortem at the City Morgue, Whitehall, Dublin. It was expected to conclude he died of gunshot wounds.
The Tormey family home remained sealed off on Sunday for an examination by the Garda Technical Bureau while local gardaí were carrying out door-to-door inquiries.
Gardaí have urged anyone who was around Thomond Road, Landen Road, Kylemore Road or the general Decies area between 3.30am and 5.30am on Sunday to come forward. They are especially keen to speak to drivers recording dashcam footage.
