- Suspected gang member Tristan Sherry shot up Browne’s Steakhouse in Dublin
- One man died and another was left fighting for his life in hospital
- Irish police are now worried innocent people may be dragged into a wider feud
Irish Police are bracing for ‘revenge attacks’ and are ‘seriously concerned’ innocent people could be dragged into an ‘all-out feud’ between gangs allegedly involved in a Christmas Eve shooting at a Dublin steakhouse.
The attacker, named as 26-year-old Tristan Sherry, left a man fighting for his life in hospital after shooting up Browne’s Steakhouse in Blanchardstown, west Dublin.
The victim is understood to be a 47-year-old man who was eating with several members of his family when they were attacked at 8.10pm on Christmas Eve.
He is currently being treated in Connolly Memorial Hospital. As of last night, his condition was described as serious, after suffering at least one gunshot wound to the neck.
The body of the shooter, who was killed after being stabbed several times during the attack, has been taken to a pathologist for a post-mortem examination today.
Sherry is believed to have been a member of a local drug trafficking gang led by ‘Mr. Flashy’, which has been involved in several violent incidents in the area in recent years.
Gardaí are now ‘seriously concerned’ that innocent members of the public may be dragged into a wider feud sparked by the shooting after one gang offered the public over €1,000 for information on the whereabouts of rivals.
A security source told the Mail: ‘Gardaí are now fearing a really large escalation in this feud following the attack. The general public in the area are being asked to give up the location of a rival gang member for cash.
‘This is being sold as a ‘no questions asked’ type of situation. But if someone does know this information and gives it up, they could be targeted by the gang for effectively informing on them which will put them and the family in danger.
‘Also, they could unwittingly become party to a crime and may have the Gardaí knocking on their door if there are repercussions to this shooting.’
It is understood Sherry had targeted a father and son who were having dinner together at Browne’s.
Both Sherry and the injured man are known to police for their alleged involvement in drug crime. Associates of the injured man have already sworn to take revenge, the Irish Independent reported.
Two suspects fled the scene in a white Audi and police are calling on anyone with information to get in touch as soon as possible.
Helen McEntee, Ireland’s justice minister, condemned the attack which is thought to be linked to a west Dublin feud responsible for a large number of assaults.
She said: ‘This viciousness has resulted in unimaginable human suffering this Christmas.
‘That anyone could perpetrate such violence as families gathered together is especially disgusting.
‘I’m thinking of the bereaved, those who were at the scene and indeed all the emergency service personnel working tonight and over Christmas who have to deal with this senseless violence.’
Multiple sources told the Irish Daily Mail they believe the horror attack to be linked to a feud in the Corduff area of west Dublin that has been going for several years.
One said: ‘There’s been a feud since around 2019 involving a very serious drugs gang based out in Corduff. They’ve been at war with a Finglas-based drugs gang run by a young man who has been nicknamed Mr Flashy.
‘There have been several shootings and fire attacks on homes and cars due to this feud. There was even an incident when a man was attacked with a machete in a police station.
‘It was being warned that it would be a matter of time before a murder and it’s happened. Sherry was known to police for his involvement in crime, especially his links to organised criminals.
‘What appears to have happened is he went in firing shots at the two men but was overpowered and beaten and stabbed by the uninjured man. It also looks like the men in the Audi outside realised that things had not gone to plan and sped off.
‘What we’re likely to see now is a ramping up of retaliations. Both sides of this feud are feared organised crime gangs who specialise in drug trafficking.
‘The Finglas group have links to the Westies gang, which was a serious outfit over the last two decades where the other side have their own pedigree.
‘The thing about this feud is that there are so many moving pieces. People who were once loyal to one gang are now on the other side and vice versa.’
Several videos of the aftermath of the attack were shared on social media in the hours after the incident. In one of them a man can be seen lying on the ground covered in blood. Other videos show diners hiding under tables and screaming.
A police spokesman said yesterday: ‘A man in his 20s was fatally injured. A second male aged in his 40s continues to receive treatment for gunshot wounds. His condition remains serious.
‘Police are aware of videos of the incident and immediate aftermath which are in circulation on social media and messaging apps. We are appealing to the public for these videos not to be further distributed.
‘We are also appealing to the public to be aware of a significant level of speculation, misinformation and disinformation which is in circulation. Gardaí have increased uniform patrols in the Dublin region, with support from armed patrols, including the Garda armed support unit.’
Residents in Blanchardstown have shared how devastating the shooting was to the community.
‘I’m absolutely appalled,’ said a local school warden, Pauline Harte, told the Irish Independent.
‘It’s a very safe community and to happen on that occasion on Christmas Eve is absolutely deplorable.’
She added: ‘I’m just really in a state of shock because Blanchardstown is a very tightly knit community and I often dine in that restaurant and it’s a very busy, popular restaurant. Lovely staff and lovely people go there from the area.
‘Everybody knows everybody, and what a time for it to happen and so unfortunate because Christmas is a time of peace and love and good Christmas spirit. I’m absolutely shocked.’
Emily Foster is a globe-trotting journalist based in the UK. Her articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
