Gardaí this morning arrested a man in the Dublin region on suspicion of murder following a shooting in Finglas on Saturday.
The man, aged in his late 20s, is currently detained at Finglas Garda Station under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act 2007.
The community around Finglas is “shocked, saddened and numb with grief” over the death of mother-of-five Sandra Boyd (36), a local councillor has said.
The man who was arrested is understood to be well known to Ms Boyd. Gardaí are investigating if the gun went off as Ms Boyd attempted to take it from someone who had it in the house.
The mother-of-five was shot in the chest by a handgun on Saturday evening. She was treated at the scene before being taken by ambulance to the Mater Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Gardaí are also investigating if the person in possession of the firearm was planning to use it in revenge for an earlier shooting incident in the Finglas area.
The gun has been seized by gardaí and is undergoing technical analysis. Gardaí have also spoken to a number of witnesses who were present in the house.
The man arrested on Monday is being held under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act 2007 which applies to serious crimes committed with a firearm. He can be held for interview for up to seven days.
Sinn Féin Councillor for Ballymun-Finglas Anthony Connaghan said: “The community is shocked, saddened and numb with grief. The details were kind of sketchy as they came out, but now, we are learning it may have been accidental and unfortunately, she has lost her life.
“Straight away what I heard from people was, they were sobbing, numb and they just couldn’t believe it – no-one could. A mother there with five kids in the house. It is just shocking and no one can believe it at this stage.
“Hundred percent there is a fear because this can happen anywhere. It is not like it is happening in one corner. This is, if you took a map and put little pins in it, it is happening across the community.
“People are afraid because, there you go, there is an innocent woman after being killed... people have that fear and apprehension that this can happen to anyone,” Mr Connaghan told Newstalk radio.
“They may not be going out to hurt innocent people, but innocent people are being caught in the crossfire.”
On Sunday the Garda investigation into the fatal shooting of Ms Boyd was focused on establishing who brought the gun into the Boyd house on Collins Place off Ballygall Road West and how it was fired.
