Gardaí in Cork investigate shooting at pensioner’s house

Officers trying to establish if crashed car found just over 1km away is linked to attack

A gunman fired two shots into the house at Bride Valley View in Fairhill on the northside of Cork at around 3.40am.
A gunman fired two shots into the house at Bride Valley View in Fairhill on the northside of Cork at around 3.40am.

Gardaí in Cork have begun an investigation after a pensioner had a frightening experience when shots were fired at his house in the early hours of this morning.

The man, who is in his 70s, was awoken in an upstairs bedroom when a gunman fired two shots into the house at Bride Valley View in Fairhill on the city's northside at around 3.40am.

Nobody was injured in the incident when shots were fired through the panel of the front door and a living room window of the house, waking the badly shaken pensioner.

A car was seen speeding from the scene and gardaí are investigating whether a Volkswagen Passat found crashed near the Blackstone Bridge just over a kilometre away 10 minutes later was linked the shooting.

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Gardaí say they believe that the attack was targeted but are satisfied that the pensioner - who is the sole occupant of the house - was not the intended target of the attack.

Garda technical experts have begun a forensic examination of the scene while officers have also begun door-to-door inquiries and will examine CCTV to see if they can identify the culprit or culprits.

Anyone who witnessed anything suspicious in the Bride Valley View area or the Blackstone Bridge area, or who can assist gardaí in any way, is asked to contact Gurranebraher Garda Station on 021-4946200.

Barry Roche

Barry Roche

Barry Roche is Southern Correspondent of The Irish Times