'Lucky escape' for innocent passers-by as bullets hit car in gang shootout
Innocent passers-by had a lucky escape during a dramatic early morning shootout between rival drug gangs. A man and his passenger miraculously escaped without injury when their car was hit twice with bullets as he passed the scene of the gunfight.
The incident unfolded around 11am on the Farrankelly Road in Greystones, Co Wicklow on Saturday morning.
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undefined 00:00 The Herald reports that a chase between a 4x4 and a van was under way when occupants from one of the vehicles began shooting at the other.
As the incident unfolded bullets hit the car of the man, who was not connected to the incident.
It is believed that links to drug gangs are being explored, with reports that the shoot-out is connected to gangster Freddie Thompson's inner city Dublin gang.
As we reported at the weekend, locals said they saw two men fighting in the street before the gun battle broke out.
Fianna Fail councillor for the area Gerry Walsh said it was lucky nobody was caught in the crossfire during the dramatic incident.
"It's very disturbing to hear. An innocent person could have been easily injured and that's the worrying thing," he told the Herald last night.
"There was a lot of people out and about, despite the weather."
"I was very surprised when I heard it, it's not the kind of thing you expect to hear in this particular area - or in any area," he added.
Mr Walsh said that the stretch of road was especially busy in the run up to Christmas.
His sentiments were echoed by his colleague on Wicklow County Council, Nicola Lawless.
"It could have been much more serious, luckily no one was hurt," the Sinn Fein councillor said.
The thugs behind the shooting incident fled the scene on foot before gardai arrived.
Gardai in Bray are leading the investigation but no arrests have been made.
"A number of men were involved in the incident. A car belonging to a passing motorist was hit twice but the driver and his passenger escaped injury.
"The technical and forensic teams are now carrying out investigations on the car," a garda spokesman said in a statement.
