LAST UPDATE | 29 Apr

GARDAÍ BELIEVE TWO feuding factions of young criminals in a Dublin housing estate are to blame for an incident in which an 11-year-old boy picked up a discarded gun and fired a shot.

The Journal has learned that the feud involves street level drug dealers who have fallen out in the Silloge area of Ballymun, Dublin. 

The most recent incident occurred yesterday when gardaí were on patrol in the area and spotted two young men acting suspiciously. 

When they approached them, they ran from the officers, with gardaí giving chase. 

As the pursuit continued, one of the suspects threw a gun to the ground. A young boy playing in the area, believed to be 11-years-old, retrieved the gun and while examining it pulled the trigger and a round was discharged. 

It is understood another youth approached the young boy and took the gun from him and left the scene. Sources said the youth who fled with the gun may have been riding an electric scooter or ebike. 

Gardaí arrested the two males, one in his 20s, and a juvenile in his teens, who were detained under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act 1939 in a Dublin garda station.

The male juvenile has since been released from custody. A file will be prepared for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

The adult male remains in custody.

Gardaí are attempting to trace where the firearm is being kept. 

They are also engaging with the family of another juvenile following this incident, affording them all available supports.

A Senior Investigating Officer has been appointed to lead this investigation.

Officers have been dealing with a number of feuds in the area – one particularly violent dispute is connected to a local halting site now appears to have been calmed following intense garda interventions, sources said. 

A separate feud, which is to blame for the gun incident, is in a specific group of low level but volatile criminals who have attained access to firearms. 

There have been a number of violent incidents and the feud has been escalating. 

A murder last June year has been blamed on the feud. Kevin Kelly, who was in his 20s, was killed on Balbutcher Lane by a speeding car in an incident which gardaí believe was carried out deliberately.  

Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan has been made briefed by gardaí on the shooting yesterday. He said that his thoughts “are with the child and their family at this time”.

“I am aware that individuals have been arrested in relation to the incident, therefore I will not be making any further comment about this ongoing criminal investigation,” O’Callaghan added.

‘Really shocking’

Local People Before Profit councillor Conor Reddy said the latest incident was both “really shocking” and not entirely unexpected given ongoing tensions in the area.

“We’ve had feuds running in Ballymun for quite a few months now,” Reddy said.

“Anybody working or living locally is aware of this constant kind of danger. We’ve seen houses shot up and brutal attacks in broad daylight. It was only really a matter of time before something like this happened.”

He said the outcome could have been far worse.

“We’re very lucky that there wasn’t a worse outcome yesterday. I think a lot of people feel we’ve been waiting for something catastrophic or tragic to happen, and we nearly got that.”

Reddy also pointed to concerns about the age of those involved.

“You’re talking about teenagers and people in their early 20s. These are effectively children involved in very serious violence, and being groomed into it.”

He said fear among residents is growing.

“People are terrified. It’s at the stage where people are afraid to go to their local shops, and parents are worried about letting their children out to play.”