Gardaí investigating the shooting of a man near Tallaght in Co Dublin were on Wednesday night continuing to question a suspect.
Sources familiar with the welfare of the victim, Keith Conlon (36), said he was on life support at Tallaght University Hospital.
Detectives believe Mr Conlon was out with a number of men and their dogs on Tuesday on privately owned farmlands near Mount Seskin, off the Blessington Road.
Mr Conlon and those he was with came across another man, who was carrying a legally held handgun. It appears warning shots were fired and that one of the dogs was wounded before the incident escalated.
At least one other shot was discharged and wounded Mr Conlon, who is also known as Keith Greene. The father of four sustained a head wound during the incident. Mr Conlon has had an address in the Kiltalown area of Tallaght for many years. He is a dog breeder and has a passion for horses. He worked as a deck hand on a boat sailing to Clare Island, Co Mayo when in his 20s.
One line of inquiry is that a dispute arose over the victim and those he was with being on the privately owned lands with their dogs. How that escalated was the subject of investigation by detectives based at Tallaght.
Firearm
When gardaí arrived at the scene on Tuesday the man suspected of firing the gun, aged in his 50s, was present and was arrested. A handgun was taken by gardaí for examination and officers believe it was the firearm that the shots were discharged from.
A number of local sources believed Mr Conlon was in the area hunting with the other men and their dogs when the altercation occurred. Signage was visible at entry points to the property stating that no dogs are allowed, that CCTV is in operation and that the land is private with no public access permitted.
The alarm was raised immediately when the shooting occurred at about 1pm. Gardaí and paramedics went to the scene, which is in a remote location overlooking Tallaght. Mr Conlon was treated at the scene before being taken to hospital.
A number of friends and family members have paid tribute to Mr Conlon on social media, mentioning his partner and four children.
Questioning
The scene of the shooting has undergone an examination by members of the Garda Technical Bureau. It remained sealed off throughout Wednesday as the evidence gathering phase of the investigation continued.
The suspect was detained under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act, which allows for him to be questioned for up to 72 hours without charge.
Investigating gardaí must apply to the courts to question any suspect for a third 24-hour period as part of the 72 hours. If the suspect remains in custody, that court application must take place by early on Thursday afternoon.
While handguns are restricted in the Republic, and subject to very strict conditions, they can be legally held if licences are applied for and gun owners satisfy a range of conditions. These include an owner’s suitability to hold a handgun licence and the secure storage of firearms when they are not being used.
