A man found dying from gunshot wounds on a Dublin street was the victim of a gangland execution, Gardai said.
The 49-year-old, Mr Gerald Fitzgerald, was shot in the legs and head, the Garda said today.
The victim was at the junction of Shanliss Road and Oldtown Road in Santry, north Dublin, when a car pulled up alongside him. As he ran to escape he was shot in the legs and then twice more in the head as he lay on the ground.
Emergency crews were called but Mr Fitzgerald died before they arrived. Detectives have launched a murder hunt.
A Garda source said: "The man was known to us and, at this stage, it certainly appears to be a gangland killing of some description. He was shot once in the legs and twice in the head, so it was clear what the intention of the gunman was . . . It was a clinical attack."
Much of the area in Santry remained sealed off today and police checkpoints were in place near to where the man died.
Forensic teams moved into the area to investigate.
A burned-out silver Rover 214 was found three miles away, and officers are investigating the chance that it may be linked to the shooting.
A post-mortem examination was being carried out by Assistant State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy.
PA