Gardaí in Dublin have not ruled out the possibility that a shooting in the city early yesterday morning may be linked to a feud which has already claimed at least two lives.
Those who carried out the shooting are believed to have fled the scene on a bicycle.
The 27-year-old male victim was walking on Abbotstown Avenue in Finglas at around 12.30 a.m. yesterday when he was approached and shot by two men with a handgun. The victim was hit several times in the upper body.
He was taken to James Connolly Memorial Hospital and later transferred to the Mater Hospital, where he was recovering last night.
His condition was said to be serious but stable.
The man, from Finglas west, is known to gardaí. Detectives believe he was involved in a dispute at waste ground in Finglas shortly before he was shot. They are satisfied the man was seriously assaulted at the waste ground, between Cappagh Road and Cappagh Drive.
After the assault he made his way from the scene. He got as far as Abbotstown Avenue where his attackers caught up with him and shot him. It is understood there were a number of witnesses, some of whom have already come forward to help gardaí with their inquiries.
One Garda source said detectives could not rule out the possibility the gun attack was linked to an ongoing feud, driven by personal vendettas.
"It's certainly something we could not overlook. It is early in the investigation, hopefully when the victim is in a position to talk to us he may be able to shed a bit of light on what happened and then we could take things from there."
The victim was under Garda protection at the Mater Hospital last night. He was heavily sedated but gardaí hope to interview him today.
Yesterday's shooting was the latest in a string of gun-related violent incidents in Dublin. A feud amongst people from Finglas has already claimed two lives in recent months. And it is believed a third, accidental, death may also be linked to the feud.
Michael Scott (25) died after two men, one armed with a gun and another with a sword, burst into his Sillogue Road flat in Ballymun while he slept on April 19th.
He was shot in the attack and died from his injuries. At the time his death was linked to an altercation at a cider party in Finglas just hours before he was killed.
Willie O'Regan was killed on June 10th in what officers believe was a revenge attack. He was shot three times at his home on the Old Cabra Road, Finglas, by two gunmen.
On July 9th, Victor Murphy of Deanstown Green, Finglas, was found at Dunsink Lane. It is believed he was shot accidentally when travelling in a car with other men. At least one of the men in the car was involved in the feud which claimed the lives of O'Regan and Scott.
