Man arrested by gardaí after shooting incidents in Ballymun

Suspect is thought to be well-known criminal involved in Ballymun-Finglas gang feud

Gardaí in Dublin have arrested a man in his 30s after shooting incidents in the Ballymun area.

The man, thought to be a well-known criminal involved in the Ballymun-Finglas gang feud, was spotted with a machine gun in Poppintree by passersby just before 5pm.

Nearby gardaí were alerted when he began firing shots, apparently indiscriminately. Nobody was injured in the incident.

The suspect then ran into a nearby house and was followed by at least two gardaí. He fired the weapon several more times before being tackled and disarmed by unarmed officers.

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Gardaí then noticed what looked like a grenade at the scene and alerted the Army’s Emergency Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team. The team arrived a short time later and made the device safe.

A firearm was recovered at a house on Cranogue Road following the incident.

The man has survived several attempts on his life, including an incident in Ballymun in 2017 which left two people dead.

He is currently being held in Ballymun Garda station on firearms charges.

Responding to the latest incident, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said: “The gardaí involved showed great bravery in ensuring the safety of the public.”

Gardaí are appealing to any witnesses who may have been in the area at the time of the incident to contact Ballymun Garda station on 01-6664400, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800-666111 or any garda station.

Conor Gallagher

Conor Gallagher

Conor Gallagher is Crime and Security Correspondent of The Irish Times