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Irish police are “gravely concerned” that innocent people will soon be drawn into an “all-out brawl” between gangs allegedly involved in a Christmas Eve shooting at a Dublin steakhouse.
The attacker, identified as Tristan Sherry, 26, killed one and left another fighting for his life in hospital after shooting at Browne’s Steakhouse in Blanchardstown, west Dublin.
The two victims are believed to have been a father and son pair who were eating with several members of their family when they were attacked at 8.10pm on Christmas Eve.
The still-living victim, a 26-year-old man from nearby Corduff, is currently being treated at Connolly Memorial Hospital. Until last night his condition was classified as serious, after suffering at least one gunshot wound to the neck.
The dead victim, a 47-year-old man from Corduff, was at the city morgue today, where a pathologist is due to perform an autopsy.
Sherry, killed at the scene, is believed to be a member of a local drug gang led by ‘Mr. Flashy’, who has been involved in several violent incidents in the area in recent years.
Gardaí are now “gravely concerned” that innocent members of the public could be drawn into a wider dispute sparked by the shooting after one gang offered the public more than €1,000 for information on the whereabouts of their rivals.
Videos shared online appear to show people at the restaurant ducking and someone else running for cover.
The alleged attacker, Tristan Sherry, died after being overpowered by his intended victims.
Police guard the street in front of the steakhouse where one man was killed and another shot
Gardai outside Browne’s Steakhouse in Blanchardstown in Dublin, following the Christmas Eve shooting
A security source told the Mail: ‘Gardaí now fear a really big escalation in this dispute following the attack. The general public in the area is asked to reveal the location of a rival gang member in exchange for cash.
‘This is being sold as a “no questions asked” type situation. But if someone knows this information and reveals it, the gang could attack them for reporting it effectively, putting them and their family in danger.
“Also, they could unknowingly become accomplices to a crime and Gardaí could come knocking on their door if this shooting has repercussions.”
It is understood Tristan had targeted a father and son who were dining together at Browne’s.
Both Sherry and the injured man are known to police for their alleged involvement in drug-related crimes. Those close to the injured man have already sworn revenge, the Irish Independent reported.
Two suspects fled the scene in a white Audi and police are asking anyone with information to get in touch as soon as possible.
A forensic investigator speaks to garda officers at the scene.
Garda officers at the scene where a man in his 20s was pronounced dead after being injured during a shooting.
Police cordon off the area outside the steakhouse where the incident occurred.
Helen McEntee, Ireland’s justice minister, condemned the attack which is believed to be linked to a dispute in west Dublin responsible for a large number of assaults.
She said: ‘This cruelty has resulted in unimaginable human suffering this Christmas.
“That someone could perpetrate such violence while families are gathering is especially sickening.
“I am thinking of those bereaved, of those who were at the scene and indeed of all the emergency services staff working tonight and over Christmas who are having to deal with this senseless violence.”
Multiple sources told the Irish Daily Mail they believe the horrific attack is linked to a dispute in the Corduff area of west Dublin that has been going on for several years.
One said: ‘There has been a dispute since around 2019 involving a very serious drug gang based in Corduff. They have been at war with a Finglas-based drug gang led by a young man they have nicknamed Mr Flashy.
‘There have been several shootings and house and car fires due to this dispute. There was even an incident when a man was attacked with a machete at a police station.
A forensic investigator at the scene in Blanchardstown, Dublin.
Images shared on social media show terrified families running for their lives and hiding under tables.
This is the shocking moment a restaurant shouts “someone is about to get punched in front of me” as a gunman bursts into a Dublin steakhouse and shoots a father and son.
‘There were warnings that it would be a matter of time before a murder occurred and so it happened. Police knew Sherry because of her involvement in crime, especially her ties to organized crime.
“What appears to have happened is that he shot at the two men, but the uninjured man overpowered him, punched him and stabbed him. It also appears that the men in the Audi outside realized that things had not gone as planned and They left at full speed.
‘What we will probably see now is an increase in retaliation. Both sides of this dispute are the feared organized crime gangs that specialize in drug trafficking.
‘The Finglas group has links to the Westies gang which was a serious organization for the last two decades where the other side has its own pedigree.
‘The thing about this dispute is that there are a lot of moving pieces. People who were once loyal to one gang are now on the other side and vice versa.’
Several videos of the aftermath of the attack were shared on social media in the hours following the incident. In one of them you can see a man lying on the ground covered in blood. Other videos show diners hiding under tables and screaming.
A police spokesman said yesterday: “A man in his 20s was fatally injured. A second man, aged in his 40s, continues to receive treatment for gunshot wounds. His condition remains serious.
‘Police are aware of videos of the incident and its immediate aftermath circulating on social media and messaging apps. We call on the public to stop these videos from being distributed further.
‘We also call on the public to be aware of the significant level of speculation, misinformation and disinformation circulating. Gardaí have increased uniformed patrols in the Dublin region, supported by armed patrols, including the Garda Armed Support Unit.’