The man killed by a shotgun blast in a Finglas public house in Dublin on Sunday night may have been killed unintentionally.
Mr Eamon O'Reilly (22) was a member of one of two gangs involved in a confrontation which turned violent at the Tower Inn.
It is understood there had been a running dispute between the two groups over control of door security at public houses and dances in north Dublin. The dispute has been simmering between two groups for months, according to local people.
Mr O'Reilly, who worked as a doorman and had an extensive criminal record, was drinking with a group of other men in the Tower around 9.30 p.m. when a rival group of around nine men arrived in the pub.
It seems the appearance of the group caused a violent flare-up, with bottles being broken on tables and pool cues seized for use as weapons.
A fight involving dozens of men broke out and during this Mr O'Reilly received a shotgun blast to the chest.
Initial reports suggested he was the victim of an assassin who walked into the pub, singled him out and shot him dead. One witness claimed to have seen a gunman wearing a motorcycle helmet. However, detectives were yesterday assessing statements suggesting that Mr O'Reilly was accidentally killed when someone close to him in the pub pulled a sawn-off shotgun from under his jacket and it may have discharged accidentally.
Gardai at Finglas are taking statements from the estimated 120 people who were in the public house at the time.
There are also concerns that the feud between the two gangs may erupt again after Mr O'Reilly, who was single and lived at St Helen's Road, Finglas, is buried.