Crime & Law

Rival gang clash on Dublin street suspected after gun murder of Josh Itseli (20)

Residents became aware of gangland attack by sound of large volley of gunfire just after midnight on Knocknarea Road in Drimnagh

Josh Itseli, from Ballyfermot, died after being shot in Drimnagh in the early hours of Monday. Photograph: Facebook

Conor Lally
Tue May 7 2024 - 06:00

Gardaí investigating the murder of a 20-year-old man in a gangland attack in Dublin believe several men were armed at that scene and that a large number of shots were discharged from heavy calibre guns.

Body armour and firearms have been seized and a suspected pipe bomb was made safe following the incident in Drimnagh in the early hours of Monday.

The deceased was named locally last night as Josh Itseli, who lived in the Kylemore area of Ballyfermot. He died at the scene after it appears a Volkswagen Golf he was in crashed into a Mercedes, or was rammed to a halt, on Knocknarea Road.

The investigation into the murder was last night in its early stages and a large and chaotic crime scene was still being examined by technical experts. The scene included the location where Mr Itseli died, the two vehicles that crashed and a third car, about 200m away on Sperrin Road, which was severely damaged having apparently been crashed multiple times.

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Stray rounds from the shooting also broke windows in the nearby Our Lady’s Hall Community Centre on Mourne Road, which was also sealed off as a crime scene.

[ Gunfire, crashed cars, pipe bomb and a killing: Chaotic violence unfolds in Drimnagh ]

Gardaí believe the murder is linked to the organised crime scene in Dublin and that the suspected explosive device was also carried to the area last night by one of the rival groups, with firearms being carried by a number of the men present.

The precise sequence of events, and the motive for the shooting, were still under investigation. However, gardaí have not ruled out the possibility that the dead man, and possible accomplices, were ambushed by another group who believed they were about to carry out an attack.

Residents raised the alarm at about 12.15am and when gardaí arrived in the area they discovered an explosive device on Knocknarea Court, adjacent to the crime scene. The Army’s explosive ordnance disposal team was called in and residents living nearby were taken from their homes while the device was made safe.

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee condemned the attack as “completely unacceptable”, saying it was “not something we will tolerate” on the streets.

“I commend the gardaí for responding quickly, resulting in the speedy arrest of suspects. Tackling crime and ensuring safer streets continues to be a top priority for An Garda Síochána and the Government,” she said.

When gardaí flooded into the area, members of the regional Armed Response Unit encountered three men – two aged 20 years and one a teenager – on nearby Slievebloom Road and arrested them. At least one of those men is well known to gardaí for suspected involvement in serious crime. Those three men were wearing body armour.

Supt Paul Maher, of An Garda Síochána’s Crumlin-Terenure community engagement team, said when gardaí and paramedics arrived at the scene they tried to administer life-saving care to the injured man, but their efforts were not successful.

Members of Mr Itseli’s social circle arrived at the crime scene yesterday, saying the family was in shock at what had happened. Family friends said Mr Itseli’s parents had come to live in Ireland from the Democratic Republic of Congo more than 20 years ago, adding the deceased had been born in the State.

Conor Lally

Conor Lally

Conor Lally is Security and Crime Editor of The Irish Times

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