Babyboyshotin mother’s arms in Dublin gun attack
AN eight-month-old baby is lucky to be alive after he was injured in a triple shooting in west Dublin.
The attack also saw the child’s mother Lynn Doyle (29) and a 17-year-old teenager hit by shotgun pellets.
The boy, who was in his mother’s arms when he was hit, was last night being treated at Temple Street Children’s Hospital after being shot in the leg during the shooting.
The family were putting up theirChristmastreeatthehome in Parslickstown Gardens, Mulhuddart, when the shooting occurred. All three casualties suffered gunshot injuries but they have been described as non-life threatening.
The intended target of the hit, Michael Collins, last night said the shooting was “pure evil”.
Speaking from the house, he said: “The bullet was meant for me but I ducked just in time. It’s a disgrace — targeting a baby is beyond evil.
“What did he do to anyone? It’s my twin brother’s baby who got shot. He’s not even a year old now and got a bullet in the legs,” he added.
Mr Collins said Lynn Doyle is his twin brother’s partner.
Taoiseach Leo Varakdar said that he was “horrified” at the shooting, which was carried out in his constituency.
“This was a shocking incident. I was horrified to learn about it. I know the gardai are conducting a detailed inquiry and it’s important that they now be given the space to complete their work,” Mr Varadkar added.
Detectives investigating the attack arrested a man in his 30s in the immediate aftermathofthe incident.
He was arrested after his home was searched and shotgun cartridges recovered.
It can also be revealed that this man was targeted in a shooting just last week.
On December 3, his home was shot at as part of an ongoing lo- cal feud. Gardai believe that yesterday’s triple shooting is connected to this feud.
The dispute is understood to have escalated in recent months after the collapse of a court case involving a serious knife attack.
Since then, a number of titfor-tat attacks have been carried out during which serious threats were made and property was damaged.
Arthur Collins, whose son and grandson were injured in the shooting, described the incident as “the lowest of the low”.
“All we were doing was putting upaChristmastreeandthenext minute, bang bang bang bang bang. For nothing,” he said.
“To tell you the truth, I thought it was bangers.
“I ran out, I seen her holding the baby, I seen my son on the ground.
“Has it gone that far now that they’re going to kill children? This has to be the lowest of the low that I’ve ever come across in my life.”