Latest: Baby's leg broken by 30 shotgun pellets in feud shooting; Mother and teenager also injured
An eight month old baby boy was lucky to escape with his life after he, along with his mum and teenage uncle, were blasted with a shotgun in broad daylight,
It is thought that up to 30 pellets struck the baby boy's leg, breaking it, during thes hooting at Parslickstown Gardens, in Blanchardstown, west Dublin.
His mum, aged 29, who is understood to have been holding her son at her hip, received injuries to her hand.
The boy’s uncle, aged 17, was shot in the stomach.
“There were a number of shots fired, probably two,” said a garda source, “and depending on the grade of the cartridge and number of ball bearings inside, there could be 60-70 pellets in a cartridge.
“They could have gone anywhere, in the child’s head, his heart, an artery, anywhere. Same with him mum and the teenager.”
Arthur Collins, the baby's grandfather and father of the teenage boy, said: "It has gone that far now that they are going to kill children. This has to be the lowest of the low I have ever come across.”
Superintendent Carolan has described the situation at the scene as "volatile".
Arthur Collins, the baby's grandfather and father of the teenage boy, said when he first heard the shots he thought they were bangers.
"I heard bang, bang, bang... I ran out, I saw my son on the ground. I held the blood from my son.
"It has gone that far now that they are going to kill children. This has to be the lowest of the low I have ever come across," he said.
Mr Collins said that his grandchild is just six months old.
"He (the gunman) could have killed someone here today. My son is fighting for his life. I don't know if he is going to live or die.
"This feud is only starting."
A baby, a teenager and a woman are in hospital this afternoon after being shot in west Dublin in what is believed to be a feud among members of the travelling community.
A man has been arrested on suspicion of possessing ammunition and is currently being held at Blanchardstown Garda Station.
Superintendent Liam Carolan described what gardaí found when they arrived at the scene.
He said: "They discovered a 17-year-old male who was suffering from gunshot wounds, a female approximately 29 years of age, she was holding an eight-month-old infant who also received gunshot wounds.
"They have been removed to hospital, their condition is not life threatening but clearly they were struck by a number of pellets from what is believed to be a shotgun."
A young child and a teenager have been injured in a shooting in west Dublin.
There are reports that the child injured in the incident in Parslickstown, Blanchardstown, is as young as nine months old.
They have both been taken to hospital for treatment, and the area has been sealed off by gardaí.
The injuries sustained during the shooting are not believed to be life threatening.
Gardaí said the incident occurred shortly after 12.30pm at Parslickstown Gardens, Mulhuddart. Officers remain at the scene.
A spokesman added: "Two people have been injured and removed to hospital with non life threatening injuries. The scene is preserved.
"No arrests have been made and enquiries are ongoing."
