Two men shot dead in a gangland style attack at a Dublin petrol station were murdered in a well planned ambush by a three-man gang, gardaí have said.
The victims, 20-year-old Glen Murphy and 23-year-old Mark Noonan, were not known for any involvement in gangland crime, and detectives investigating the double murder said the motive is, as yet, unclear.
The shooting occurred at Tesco petrol station beside the Tesco Clearwater shopping centre in Finglas, north Dublin, just after 11.40pm yesterday.
The victims called to see friends in a house in Finglas earlier in the night and had driven to the service station to get cigarettes.
When they arrived at the petrol station in their dark grey Toyota Avensis both men, who are from the north inner city, walked to the petrol station shop service hatch to make their purchase.
They parked their car a few feet from the shop. Just seconds after they arrived, the killers’ car slowly drove between the victims’ parked car and the petrol pumps.
One gunman opened fire from the front passenger seat while a second man opened fire from the back seat. One of the victims was shot dead as he stood at the shop’s hatch, while the second man was shot as he walked towards his associate.
Gardaí believe at least six shots were fired from the killers’ car, which continued to move slowly for the duration of the shooting. Gardai are investigating if one of the gunmen leaned far out of the car he was travelling in, or got out of the vehicle, to fire a final shot into one of the victims as he lay dying in the garage forecourt.
The killers’ car, a black BMW 5 series which was driven by a third man, then sped away from the scene.
Both of the victims were shot several times and the murders were captured on CCTV.
Supt John Gilligan described the attack as “particularly callous”. He also said the killers’ BMW had been in or around the service station for around five minutes before the victims arrived and the ambush unfolded.
The BMW is believed to have performed at least one “practice run” driving through the forecourt as the killers waited for the two men they planned to shoot dead.
The victims were not known for any involvement in organised crime. Their deaths bring to 23 the total number of gun killings in the State this year.
Supt Gilligan said that with many gun murders, it was often possible for the gardai to study the victim’s background and quickly establish a probable motive for their murder. However, he said in relation to last night’s attack this was not the case.
Supt Gilligan said when the well planned shooting was carried out a staff member was standing behind the glass of the shop window and one customer had just walked away from the hatch having made a purchase.
Gardaí have appealed for anyone who was in the garage between 11.30pm and 11.45pm to come forward. They believe customers at the petrol station in the minutes before the killings may have seen the three man gang in their car before they had concealed their identities with hoods in preparation for carrying out the shooting.
Gardaí have also appealed for anyone who saw the killers’ Black BMW 5 Series – with a 06 D registration – or the victims’ dark grey Avensis – 05 D 86211 – either before or after the murders to contact them. Gardaí in Finglas are investigating and can be contacted on (01) 666 7532.