Gardaí investigating last night's murder of two men at a flat on Dublin’s Pearse Street have made an appeal for assistance from the public in tracking the killers.
The shootings, which brought to three the number of people murdered in gangland attacks at the weekend, took place just before 7pm at a flat in Pearse House.
Paddy Mooney(58) was shot in his home at Pearse House along with Brendan Molyneaux, aged in his mid-40s.
Gardaí said the two assailants are believed to be men in their early 20s, of medium build and average height. They were both wearing baseball caps or balaclavas.
Only one of the victims is believed to have been the killers’ target. Garda sources said the other man appears to have had the misfortune of being with the target when the gunmen struck.
Assistant Commissioner Michael Feehan today moved to reassure communities that the “Garda Síochána will leave no stone unturned”.
He said gardaí were satisfied there were people in the community who have information, and urged them to come forward “no matter how minuscule or unimportant they might think it is”.
He said the collection and examination of CCTV footage from Pearse House would form part of the investigation.
Three men and a woman were arrested in connection with the incident and are being questioned by gardaí. Two were arrested in Dublin's south inner city, while another two were held in Finglas.
Three of those being held are in their 20s, while one of the men is in his 40s. They are being detained under Section 50 of the Offences Against the State Act and can be held for up to seven days without charge.
Last night’s double killing followed the discovery on Saturday of the remains of drug dealer John Paul Joyce (30), Coolock, Dublin. He had been shot in the head and his body dumped in a ditch at the back of Dublin airport.
Gardaí do not believe the killing of Joyce and the murder of the two men last night are linked by motive. However, the suspects for the Joyce killing are a drugs gang from Finglas, Dublin, and the same gang are the chief suspects for last night’s double killing in Pearse Street.
One of the men shot dead last night in Pearse House had recently been in dispute with the Finglas gang over a shooting 18 months ago and this row is being examined as a motive for last night’s double murder.
The scene of the shooting will today undergo a forensic examination by members of the Garda Technical Bureau. Postmortems will also be carried out. One of the men lived at the flat where the double murder took place. The other victim was visiting the flat.
Speaking today, Fine Gael justice spokesman Charlie Flanagan said the primary duty of any Government was to provide safety and security for its citizens.
"I believe that gangland crime is thriving because we have failed to stem the tsunami of drugs through our coastal routes, it is not a matter only of legislation . . . it's also resources," Mr Flanagan said on RTÉ's Morning Ireland.
"Last year the Minister for Justice . . . introduced new tough, robust legislation. We in Fine Gael supported that, but it is not sufficient because the legislation is only as good as the resources that are available.
"The reality is there is a number of senior vacancies in the Garda force that have not been completed, there is a matter of recruitment, there is a matter of an embargo on promotions at a very senior level in the gardaí, and I would hope the Minister would reach agreement with the Minister for Finance . . . it's important that these promotions be filled."
Labour spokesman on justice Pat Rabbitte said the three shootings in Dublin over the weekend are a "clear indication" the Government has failed to tackle gangland and gun crime.
"These incidents make it clear that the criminal gangs that struggle for control of turf have no regard for society or human life. While lucrative profits are to be made from supplying the demand for drugs the crime bosses will continue to meet that demand and are prepared to direct the use of whatever level of violence is necessary to protect their profits., regardless of the consequences," Mr Rabbitte said.
"Sadly, if previous cases are anything to go by, the perpetrators are unlikely to be brought to justice. According to recent statistics," he said.
"Since 1997 successive Fianna Fáil-led Governments have been telling us that they would put gangs out of business, but all the evidence shows they are failing in this regard."