A MAN who was shot in the face in an early morning gun attack yesterday remained in a critical condition in hospital last night.
The 27-year-old victim was at home with his girlfriend and two children at an apartment on Russell Rise, off Fortunestown Way, Tallaght, Dublin, when the incident took place at 6.30am.
The victim was in bed when he went to answer a caller who had rung the bell of the third-floor apartment.
When he opened the kitchen window and looked out to investigate, the gunman on the pavement below fired a shot at him wounding him in the face.
A second shot was also discharged from the attacker’s shotgun.
The emergency services were contacted immediately and the victim, who works as a postman, was given medical attention at the scene.
He was taken by ambulance to Tallaght hospital where he underwent surgery.
His condition last night was described as critical.
Gardaí do not believe the incident is linked in any way to the drugs trade or any form of organised crime.
Detectives are still attempting to establish a motive for the attack.
One Garda source said the victim is believed to have intervened in a disagreement in a pub in Tallaght recently during which he was threatened.
Gardaí are now trying to establish if the pub row is linked to the shooting.
While a number of people reported hearing the shooting, officers are unclear as to what route the gunman took in escaping the scene. They are also unsure if he escaped on foot or in a vehicle.
Supt Eamon Dolan appealed for anyone with information to come forward.
“People may have seen something going to work or coming from work at that time of the morning,” he said.
“They may have seen something of a suspicious nature, like people running in the area or maybe a vehicle driving away quickly or being abandoned locally.”
The scene of the shooting was sealed off and was examined by members of the Garda Technical Bureau. Gardaí also conducted house-to-house inquiries with many locals.
In addition to this officers spoke to people as they passed the scene on their way to work.
Anybody with information is asked to contact Tallaght Garda station on (01) 666-6000.
