A BABY BOY was struck by up to 30 pellets and suffered a broken leg after a horrific shooting on an Irish halting site.
The 29 year old mother of the baby boy was also shot in the hand, and the six month old's 17 year old uncle was shot in the stomach during the shooting yesterday afternoon.
Baby John Collins, his mother Lynn Doyle and uncle Matthew Collins were putting up their Christmas tree when a suspect opened fire on their home in Parslickstown Gardens, in Mulhuddart west Dublin around 12.35pm.
Gardaí have arrested a 48 year old man on suspicion of possessing ammunition and is currently being held at Finglas Garda Station.
Arthur Collins father and grandfather of the ingured teenager and child as he speak to the media. (Picture: RollingNews.ie)It's believed the victims of the attack were not the intended target, and that the incident may have arisen over a long running feud between two families from the Traveller community.
Arthur Collins, the father of the teenage uncle and grandfather to the young baby, said: "My son is fighting for his life up at that hospital, I don't know if he's going to live or die but I will tell you it's wrong, it's wrong, it's wrong.
Man says his teenage son and infant grandson were shot while putting up a Christmas tree in Parslickstown, west Dublin pic.twitter.com/xbNujyt1i2
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) December 11, 2017
"The feud was over a boy and girl running away, and it never stopped.
"All we were doing was putting up a Christmas tree and then bang bang bang bang, my son was on the ground, my grandson - only six months old - shot in the face and the body.
"Is it gone that far now that they're going to kill children?
"This has to be the lowest of the lowest I've ever come across."
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Pavee Point spokesperson Martin Collins said if the row is not resolved, "it has the potential to escalate and it could even be worse next time, where potentially lives could be lost".
Mr Collins said he would encourage those involved "to see sense, come back to the table and to understand that violence and conflict is not inevitable, it is entirely preventable".
He said there were "various attempts over the last number of months and indeed years to try and find a resolution through mediation," which have been unsuccessful.
