Gardaí in Dublin are appealing for information after a man was shot dead this morning.
The shooting happened outside a house at Marigold Crescent in Darndale at around 6:30am on Friday morning.
39-year-old John Lawless - a father-of-three - was shot as he walked from his home on his way to work.
The scene of the shooting in Darndale, north Dublin | Image: Kacey O'Riordan
He was taken to Beaumont Hospital but he has since died.
A post-mortem exam is being carried out this afternoon.
The scene of the shooting was sealed off for a Garda Technical Examination.
John Lawless. Image: Garda Press Office
A second scene was also examined, after a burnt out car - a silver Ford Focus with a registration number of 132-D - was found in the nearby Greenwood Avenue area of Donaghmede.
It's believed the car may have been used in the shooting.
The car was stolen during a burglary in the Santry area on 1st January 2019.
A car believe to be connected to a fatal shooting on Marigold Avenue, Darndale has been found burnt out on nearby Greenwood Avenue. pic.twitter.com/slxEeKA87R
— Kacey O'Riordan (@KaceyORiordan) February 8, 2019
No motive yet established
No motive for the shooting has yet been established.
Mr Lawless was a fire safety officer, and his partner is currently pregnant with their fourth child.
He had a few minor issues in the past but was not known to gardaí for any involvement in serious crime.
Detectives are now trying to establish why he was killed – they don’t believe it’s linked to a gangland feud, and may have been a local issue.
Supt Gerry Donnelly is appealing for information after father of three John Lawless was shot dead in Darndale this morning on his way to work pic.twitter.com/E5Mq2MsZDN
— Stephanie Rohan (@StephGrogan3) February 8, 2019
This evening, gardaí appealed to anybody who may have witnessed the shooting at Marigold Crescent to contact them.
They say the incident would have happened at the start of the busy commuter period for work and schools.
They're also looking to speak to anyone "who may have observed the silver Ford Focus car prior to the shooting or after the shooting while traveling from the Darndale area across Malahide Road towards Blunden Drive and Greenwood Avenue... or who may have noticed anything suspicious in the vicinity of the Resource Centre in Darndale, Marigold Crescent or Greenwood Avenue".
Investigating gardaí are appealing for anyone with information to contact the incident room at Coolock Garda Station on 01-666-4200, the Garda Confidential Line at 1-800-666-111 or any Garda station.
Reporting by Kacey O'Riordan, Stephanie Rohan, Jack Quann and Stephen McNeice
