Gardaí believe a gunman who shot dead a father of three in Limerick city yesterday morning had intimate knowledge of his movements.
The killer lay in wait in a telephone box for his victim to pass on a busy street on the north side of the city.
The killing is linked to the Limerick gang feud. The victim, Noel Campion (34), Pineview Gardens, Moyross, was described by senior Garda sources as a key player in the city's drugs trade.
He was jailed in 1999 for 14 years for armed robbery. However, he was released in 2005 after six years of the sentence were suspended. One of his brothers, Gary Campion, is awaiting trial for murder while another brother, William Campion, is serving life for murder.
The dead man was a pillion passenger on a motorbike in Thomondgate when he was shot at about 10.40am.
The killer stepped from a phone box at the junction of High Road and Inglewood Terrace as the bike approached.
However, the driver and Mr Campion realised they were being targeted. As the gunman opened fire with a handgun the driver crashed into a parked car as he tried to speed away.
Mr Campion and the driver tried to flee on foot but their attacker continued to fire up to six shots, fatally wounding the victim in the back.
The windscreen of the Nissan Primera at the murder scene was shattered. At least one bullet hole was visible in the bonnet.
The motorbike and two helmets lay on the road until early afternoon yesterday. Local children gathered, many taking pictures of the scene on their mobile phones. The owner of the damaged car, who did not want to be named, said he was "utterly shocked" by what had happened.
"I was in bed when I heard the gun shots because I had just come off nights. I came out of the house and you could see the body on the road. There was loads of people around and everybody was screaming and roaring."
Gardaí believe the gunman escaped in a waiting vehicle. A silver Volkswagen was later found in the Moyross estate. Efforts had been made to set it on fire. Gardaí said they were hopeful forensic tests on the phonebox might yield vital fingerprint or DNA evidence.
Gardaí are investigating reports that the victim had left a Jeep to be repaired in a local garage and his brother-in-law had followed on his motorbike to bring him home.
Their journey had only just begun when the attack happened.
Mr Campion was aligned to the McCarthy-Dundon drugs gang, five of whom are serving life in prison for the 2003 murder of leading gang boss Kieran Keane.
Gardaí expressed concern about an escalation in the feud last night after a close associate of the dead man was arrested with a handgun. He was detained in Moyross by gardaí, who suspect he was on his way to carry out a revenge shooting.
Mr Campion's brother, Gary, is awaiting trial for the 2002 murder of nightclub bouncer Brian Fitzgerald. The victim's gang was also suspected of shooting dead a young criminal, Frankie Ryan, last September.
The victim's other brother William is serving life for the murder of a pensioner in Clare in 1998.
Paud Skehan (68) was found barely conscious, partially dressed, doused in flammable liquid and hanging from the banisters in his ransacked home.
Noel Campion had appeared in court a fortnight ago where he paid €4,500 for the return of six horses he had been keeping illegally in Limerick city in March.
Minister for Justice Michael McDowell said the killing "has the appearance" of a feud-related murder. "This underlines the necessity for the powers that are set out in the Criminal Justice Bill that has now passed through Dáil Éireann."
