MUM AND BABY BLASTED IN GUN TERROR
Grandfather’s outrage after eight-month-old injured in triple murder bid
A GUNMAN tried to murder a baby boy, his mum and uncle in a horrific feud shooting yesterday.
The grandfather of eight-month-old John Collins said the tot nearly died in the attack alongside Lynn Doyle, 29, and her 17-year-old brother-in-law Matthew.
Arthur Collins added: “I held the blood from my son. It has gone that far now they are going to kill children.”
A BABY, his mother and teenage uncle were shot at close range in a brutal attack yesterday.
Eight-month-old John Collins and Matthew “Matsie” Collins, 17 were receiving surgery for their injuries last night.
Mum Lynn Doyle, 29, was holding little John when they were both hit by shotgun pellets at Parslickstown Gardens in Mulhuddart, North Dublin shortly after 12.30pm.
The granddad of the baby last night described the shocking attack as “the lowest of the low”.
Arthur Collins revealed he heard shots ring out and at first thought it was bangers.
He said a feud at the estate had started “over a boy and girl running away“.
Mr Collins added: “All we were doing was putting up a Christmas tree and the next minute, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang. For nothing. I thought it was bangers.
“My grandson, God help him, he’s in Temple Street. He’s going for surgery. He got 20 of them into his side and leg. This has to be the lowest of the low.
“They shot him for nothing. They were barred from this site. I don’t want to see anyone else getting shot here.
“My son is going through surgery in hospital in Blanchardstown. My sisters and my brothers are all up there with him.
“They’re waiting for him to come out. They don’t know.”
Mr Collins is now worried baby John won’t get to spend his first Christmas with his family.
He told the Irish Mirror: “All I want is peace. When they came back today I got the biggest shock of my life.
“Can you imagine standing in your own garden and being shot?
“All I want is justice for this. This was the child’s first Christmas.
“How long is he going to be in hospital now?” The grandad also revealed how he lost his son Arthur Jnr in 1997 and feared Matthew would also die.
He said: “My son was killed stone dead crossing the road in 1997 by a drunken driver. I said, ‘Please, Matthew, don’t die on me. Don’t die on me’.
“I got a towel and the ambulance men told me what to do. He was just
going in and out of consciousness. Over what? A dispute that happened two or three years ago.
“We thought it was all over. They came back and started the whole trouble again.”
Gda Supt Liam Carolan yesterday said officers are continuing to investigate the incident and a man in his 30s has been arrested over the attack.
He added: “A 29-year-old female was holding an eight-month-old infant who also received gunshot wounds.
“She received a number of pellets. The child has a number of pellets in his lower body. “They have been removed to hospital. Their condition is not life-threatening, but clearly they were struck by a number of pellets from a shotgun.
“We have commenced an investigation. Arising from that, a male has been arrested under section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act on suspicion of possession of ammunition. That male is now being detained at Blanchardstown Garda station.
“A full crime scene investigation is taking place and it is at the early stages. “There is a quite volatile situation here. Who or what has been involved, it’s too early to speculate on.
“Absolutely there are issues currently going on in the background. “The woman has received a small number of pellets.
“She was holding the child on her right hip when both of them were struck with pellets from the gun. We’re having conflicting versions of events but clearly, for a shotgun to do that damage, it would’ve been quite close range to the three victims.”
Supt Carolan appealed for witnesses to the incident to call gardai.
He said: “Anyone who was in the vicinity of Parslickstown Gardens from 12 noon — if they saw a car driving at high speed, if they saw people hanging around or thought something seemed strange, anything like that.
“We’ve set up an incident room at Blanchardstown Garda station. If they could contact us there on 016667000 or the confidential line 1800666111.”