‘Extremely reckless’ gunman could have killed children, garda says

A reckless gunman who opened fire on his victim in rush hour traffic in Dublin could have killed a number of people, including children, who were at the scene, an investigating Garda superintendent has said.

Lee Boylan, 24, of Blanchardstown, is fighting for his life after he was shot several times in the neck and body as he sat in a white Volkswagen van on Blakestown Road, Dublin 15, just after 5pm on Wednesday.

His condition is said to have deteriorated overnight and he was moved to the intensive care unit in Beaumont Hospital from Connolly Hospital.

Superintendent Liam Carolan, who is leading the attempted murder investigation, said the gunman could have killed several other people.

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“It was daylight, there were a number of people in the area, including children,” he said.

“There were a number of shots discharged, a number of bullets entered the van, came out the far side — anybody in the vicinity could have been shot dead. So clearly it was extremely reckless.”

Gardaí say they believe the attack was planned and are investigating all possible motives, including speculation that the shooting was linked to ongoing criminal feuding or the drugs trade.

A number of drug gangs in the area have been involved in a feud in recent years, which has already claimed three lives.

The gunman is described as being around 6 ft tall and was wearing a knee-length dark bulky parka-style jacket, a black baseball cap with a white logo and a blue glove on his left hand.

It is believed he jumped out of the passenger seat of a black or grey-coloured BMW 320 coupe, with the registration 05KY5360, before opening fire.

The car, understood to have been bought recently in the Ronanstown area and which was driven by an accomplice who helped the gunman flee the scene, was later found ablaze at nearby Saddlers Lawn.

The gunman then made off in the direction of Huntstown Lawn.

The driver of the BMW car is described as around 6ft tall, approximately 40-50 years old, with grey facial hair. He was wearing a baseball cap and a hooded top.

No arrests have been made to date. A forensic examination of the crime scene is continuing.

Gardaí­ believe that Mr Boylan was the gunman’s intended target and that he had been under surveillance before being singled out in what appeared to be a well- planned ambush.

It was the fourth gangland-style shooting in the Republic in the past month, with two men dead and two others seriously injured.