A little boy was shot in the neck last night, after it’s thought his family were targeted by hitmen.
The boy, who lives with his family in a south west Dublin housing estate in the Ballyfermot area, is thought to have been standing in the hallway of the house when two men barged through the front door, at around 10.15pm.
According to local reports, the two men fired into the hallway, with one bullet hitting the six-year-old child.
The child’s uncle is also believed to have been in the house at the time.
The emergency services rushed to the scene to treat the little boy before bringing him the nearby Our Lady’s Hospital, Crumlin.
The child is said to be in a serious, yet stable condition, in hospital.
A local woman, who witnessed the incident said, “I heard a bang, I thought someone had smashed my window.
“I came out and everyone was screaming. I stared throwing towels out to people who were helping him to stop the bleeding. It was horrible. He looked so small and scared. His glasses were up at his forehead.”
A local councillor vented his outrage at the shooting, saying, “This is shocking and appalling. When will we start to take this seriously in Dublin? This is the latest in a long line of shootings in this area…and yet not a single thing has been done.”
Gardai sealed off the street pending a forensic examination by members of the garda technical bureau. They are appealing for any witnesses or anyone with detail to contact the Garda Confidential Line at 1800 666 111.
Our thoughts are with the little boy and his family at this time.
