Two men arrested in Dublin shooting had been travelling with victim during attack

Emergency services were notified that there was a man with a gunshot wound to his leg in the car park of Lidl at St Margaret’s Road in Finglas around 5pm on Friday.

The victim is a 23-year-old from Ardee with links to the drugs trade but is not considered a major gangland player.

Gardai believe he was shot at another location to where he was found by emergency services.

The two men who had been in a vehicle with the victim when he was shot were subsequently arrested by gardai and quizzed at Finglas Garda Station last night.

One of two men was last night released without charge.

The men are associates of the victim and believed to be from Louth.

Last night gardai said one of them has been released without charge as a file is prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.

The second man remains in Garda custody in Finglas Garda station and is detained under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act, 1939.

Gardai added that investigations are ongoing.

The three men are believed to have driven to the area in a black Audi.

Gardai are trying to establish if the gunshot wound to his lower leg was intentional or accidental and also establish why the men were in the area with a loaded handgun.

“They weren’t out buying flowers anyway,” a source said last night. “We’re looking to establish what exactly they were up to.”

The victim had no known links to criminals involved in the Finglas feud but gardai are keeping an open mind as to what led to the shooting.

Tensions have been high in the area due to a series of feud-linked attacks in recent months including the murder of James Whelan by the rival Mr Flashy mob in April.

The injured man was taken to the Mater Hospital in Dublin where he was treated for non-life threatening injuries.

He is known to gardai in Ardee for involvement in the drug trade but is not considered a major gangland criminal.

Gardai made an appeal for information on the shooting over the weekend.

“Gardaí are appealing for anyone with information or anyone who may have witnessed this incident to come forward. They are particularly keen for anyone with camera footage (including dash-cam) to make this available to investigating Gardaí.

“Gardaí can be contacted at Finglas Garda Station 01 666 7500, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.”