- Two hitmen have been pictured as they stormed a hotel dressed as police
- The men were operating as part of a team that gunned down rival gangster
- David Byrne was shot by the men during the boxing weigh in in Dublin
- His killers wore police uniforms, helmets and had powerful assault rifles
- Police fear it marks the beginning of a bloody open war between two gangs
This
is the terrifying moment two hitmen dressed as police officers and
armed with assault rifles stormed a hotel and gunned down a gangland
rival in a brazen daylight massacre.
In
total, four men wearing disguises executed gangster David Byrne and
seriously injured two of his associates at the Regency Hotel in Dublin
yesterday before fleeing in a van later found torched.
Wearing
helmets and carrying powerful assault rifles with jackets reading
'Gardai' on the back, many witnesses said they mistook the men for
genuine police before they began killing.
They
are believed to be a revenge squad operating in response to a murder
last year which sparked fears underworld tensions between two powerful
Irish gangs have erupted into all out war.
Two executioners dressed in SWAT-style
police clothes are pictured storming the Regency Hotel in Dublin
yesterday, where they shot dead gangster David Byrne and injured two of
his associates
Witnesses later said they mistook the men for genuine police officers until they began shooting
The body of David Byrne lies slumped
against the hotel reception desk after he was gunned down during the
boxing weigh-in in Dublin yesterday
It's believed members of the Christy Kinahan gang - to which Byrne (pictured) was aligned - were the targets.
The hit was targeted. It's believed members of the Christy Kinahan gang - to which Byrne was aligned - were the targets.
A witness in the hotel at the time of the attack told The Irish Sun the fourth killer, dressed as a woman, brushed past him moments prior to the shooting.
He
said: I saw a man dressed as a woman. She walked past me but bumped
into me. I thought she was a transvestite. Little did I realise it was a
man.'
Another witness told the Irish Independent
the two gunmen entered the building and began shooting - while another
two, including the man dressed as a woman - cornered those fleeing on
the steps outside.
The
witness explained: 'I heard a man dressed as a woman say "he's not
f****** here, I can't find him." He was wearing a long blonde wig.
'The
other guy roared back "get the f*** out of here" just as the other two
came out the front door and came out past me and went down to the silver
transit van and they all bundled into this van.'
Police
sources told the paper it was clear the gunmen had planned to murder
several members of Kinahan's syndicate, describing it as 'an
unprecedented escalation of a feud that has now become an all-out war'.
Gardai Chief Superintendent Barry O'Brien said it was a 'particularly nasty incident' that had involved 'severe weapons'.
He
said: 'Two individuals were wearing what was described as police-type
uniforms. In that regard it was described as a SWAT uniform with metal
helmets, similar to what you see on crime dramas.'
The shooting is likely to have been in retaliation for the murder of Gary Hutch in September in Spain.
Mr
Hutch, nephew of the notorious Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch, is believed to
have been murdered by the powerful Kinahan crime gang after he stole
money from them.
He
used to work for the Kinahans. Police believe yesterday’s attack was
carried out by criminal associates of the Hutch family who ‘swore
revenge’ against the Kinahans for the murder.
The
Kinahans are involved with promoting boxing events and have established
their own gym in Spain. Daniel Kinahan frequently travelled to boxing
events in Ireland.
Bryne
was at the Regency Hotel in Dublin to witness the weigh-in of Jamie
Kavanagh who was due to fight for a European title tomorrow.
Dramatic
footage shows the moment the gunfire erupted, with a girl heard crying:
'Daddy, what's going on? Daddy help me,' as the gunshots continued to
ring out.
One of the boxers, pictured, was in the middle of his weigh-in in Dublin just as the gunmen opened fire
Amid chaotic scenes, the boxer and audience members fled through an emergency exit to flee the gunmen
Eyewitnesses ran for the exits as the two killers, one dressed as a woman, opened fire on the victim
Several families were near the stage when the gunmen opened fire killing one man and injuring two others
At
least two of the gang are believed to have been armed with a type of
Kalashnikov assault rifle while the remainder brandished handguns.
The gang escaped in a van which was found burned-out a short time later.
Video shows that amid chaotic scenes, one of the boxers on stage runs for his life as the gunmen open fire.
The two other men injured in the attack are close friends with Byrne and spend much of their time in Spain.
They
have been named locally as Aaron Bolger, 26, from Killinarden,
Tallaght, Dublin, and Sean McGovern, 30, from Captain’s Road, Crumlin.
Witness
Mel Christle, president of the Boxing Union of Ireland, was standing on
a podium where the last of the boxers weighing in had just stood down
when he heard gunfire erupting outside the room.
He
said: 'There was a horrific cracking noise, in front of me, out of the
banquet room - it was a place called the Regency Suite.
'There
was an incredible noise out there, and that is where I saw a body, a
corpse, lying literally at the edge of the reception desk.
'So I'm sure he [the victim] was trapped - he was riddled.'
Mr Christle said one of the gunmen was dressed up as a woman and aged in his early 20s.
The
boxing chief was adamant the attackers were not targeting the boxers
gathered for the weigh-in, but other individuals who were hit in the
hotel reception.
Police removed the body of David Byrne, pictured, who was shot dead in a gangland attack in Dublin yesterday
The slain drug dealer was a major player in the cocaine scene in Dublin and was based on the city's south side
Irish police believe this burned-out Ford Transit Van was used by the killers as a getaway vehicle
Unknown gunmen brandishing handguns and wearing 'police-style uniforms', entered the lobby and started shooting, witnesses said
Gardai outside the Regency Hotel in
Dublin after one man died and two others were injured following a
shooting incident at the hotel
He said there was panic as some people dived for cover when they realised what was happening.
'I actually saw the sheer fear that will live with them for a long, long time,' he said of those who witnessed the shooting.
'It
actually touched me, how afraid - I'm sure adults were afraid, but my
God, the children couldn't believe what was going on.'
The gunmen fled the scene in a van, which was later found set alight nearby.
Kevin
McAnena, a sports reporter who was covering the weigh-in, said one of
two gunmen dressed in Garda-style uniforms pointed a 'big, massive' gun
at him while he sought cover in the lobby in the heat of the attack.
'I
jumped over the reception desk, I think I smashed the vase on my way,
then the gunman came over to reception, looked down at me and pointed
the gun at me, and I shouted, I was shouting even before he came over
"don't shoot, don't shoot",' he said.
'[The
gunman] said something to me but I don't know what he even said, I
can't remember at this point, I just know I've never felt terror like
it, I was really, really scared and then after that it was just
silence.'
Byrne's murder has been linked directly to the shooting of Gary Hutch, who was killed in Spain in September
Jamie Kavanagh, left, who was due to
fight today, was the son of Gerard 'Hatchet' Kavanagh, right, who was
murdered in Spain in September 2014. Kavanagh was an enforcer for the
Dapper Don Christy Kinahan
Gerard 'Hatchet' Kavanagh, right, was a key enforcer for the Dapper Don Christy Kinahan, left
Jamie Kavanagh tweeted following the shooting that he was 'lucky' after the horrific scenes
Mr McAnena said he saw a gunman firing into a victim's leg.
'The man I saw being shot in the leg, is the man who is now dead - he was no more than six foot from me,' he said.
'The gunshots I heard after I jumped over the receptionist's desk were probably the gunshots that finished him off.
'That
same gunman looked over at me before pointing the gun at me, telling
me, I think he said "get up" or "go away" or something like that."
Mr McAnena said he heard two shots outside the hotel and at least three more inside.
'They were big, massive guns - gardai have told me since they were AK-47 rifles,' he added.
'It
was just so surreal, it happened so quickly. I remember thinking if he
just shot him without looking, then he is going to shoot me.'
There were approximately 200-300 people at the weigh-in when the shooting started.
Two
detectives attending the scene said it was too early to specify any
motive, but cited the deadly feuding between gangland factions as one
possibility.
A
headliner in Saturday's boxing bouts was Jamie Kavanagh, whose father -
a convicted drug dealer - was shot to death in Spain in 2014. He was an
enforcer for the Kinahan syndicate.
The younger Kavanagh was due to fight Joao Bento for the vacant WBO European lightweight title.
The fight's promoters have announced that tomorrow's bout has been cancelled as a result of the murder.
Forensic experts scoured the carpark of the Regency Hotel looking for any evidence of the assassination
Irish police were located near the
hotel at the time of the shooting as they were aware that several major
gangland figures were planning to attend this afternoon's weigh-in in
the Regency Hotel in Dublin, pictured
Irish police removed this Audi RS8 from outside the hotel this evening following the earlier murder
Irish
police released a statement following the shooting: 'The incident
occurred at about 2.30pm on Friday 5th Feb. Emergency services
responding to reports of a shooting discovered three men, all in their
20s or 30s, injured at the scene.
'One
of these men was subsequently pronounced dead. Two others were removed
to The Mater and Beaumont hospitals with possible gunshot wounds.
'The
scene is sealed off and a technical examination of the area is expected
to take place.Gardaí are appealing for anyone who was in the area of
the Regency Hotel or may have information, to contact them at Ballymun
Garda Station on 01 666 4400.'
The
Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny, who is currently seeking re-election
tonight blamed the shooting on rival Dublin drug gangs.
Chief
Superintendent Barry O'Brien who is leading the investigation said:
'One [of the attackers] is described as possible being a male disguised
as a female wearing what was described as a blonde or auburn wig.
'This is a particularly nasty incident. A very detailed and substantial investigation has commenced.
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