Gardaí investigating the attempted gun murder of a 17-year-old boy in Dublin have arrested four men and a male juvenile for questioning.
The five suspects were arrested on Wednesday morning and can be held for up to seven days without charge.
They were being questioned about an attack on the on Eugene Street, Dublin 8, last month. Gardaí believe the would-be killers were waiting for the boy and ambushed him as he was getting out of a taxi.
The shooting, which is being treated as attempted murder, occurred at about 11pm on Wednesday, February 24th. Gardaí believe the boy, who lives in another part of Dublin 8, was singled out for attack by local criminals from the general area and who are known to the victim.
The boy cried out for help and shouted “am I going to die?” to the people who went to his aid. Local people told The Irish Times at the time the boy was asking where all the blood was coming from and whether he had been shot in the face in the minutes after the attack.
After the teenager was treated at the scene for multiple gunshot wounds he was taken by ambulance to nearby St James’s Hospital. He underwent surgery on arrival and has been recovering since.
The scene on Eugene Street was sealed off when gardaí arrived on the night and underwent a forensic examination. A second scene, at Greenville Avenue, Dublin 8, was also sealed off as a Black Hyundai i30 car was burned out there shortly after the shooting. Gardaí believe it was the getaway vehicle.
The investigation into the attack, which was highly unusual given the age of the victim, had intensified of late.
“Four males in their 20s and a male juvenile were arrested following a number of searches in Dublin this morning,” Garda Headquarters, Phoenix Park, Dublin, said in a brief statement on Wednesday.
“All five are currently detained under the provisions of Section 50 the Criminal Justice Act 2007 at a number of Garda stations in Dublin. They can be held for up to seven days. Investigations are ongoing.”
