Shot fired after child picks up discarded gun

A shot was fired from a loaded gun in a residential area of Dublin after a child picked up the weapon which had been thrown away during a police chase.

The child, believed to be about 11 years old, reportedly found the discarded gun in a bush in Ballymun on Tuesday afternoon.

Gardaí (Irish police) said they had earlier arrested a teenage boy and a man in his 20s after responding to a "firearm incident".

It was the second loaded gun to be found in Ballymun within a three-day period after officers found a handgun hidden in a bush near a playground on Sunday.

There were no reports of any injuries in Tuesday's shooting.

Councillor Conor Reddy said he understood Gardaí were involved in a pursuit in the vicinity of Ballymun Garda Station when a suspect ran into the nearby Sillogue Gardens.

"The gun was thrown into a bush and a child picked it up," Reddy told BBC News NI.

The weapon discharged, reportedly in the presence of at least one other child.

The People Before Profit councillor said the incident is believed to be linked to an ongoing drugs feud which has created an "escalating cycle of violence" in the area.

In a statement, Gardaí said they responded to reports of a firearm incident in Ballymun at about 15:00 local time on Tuesday.

"In the course of responding to this incident, unarmed, uniformed Gardaí pursued on foot two males, one of whom was on an e-scooter," they said.

They arrested a man in his 20s, who remains in custody, and a teenage boy who has since been released, with a report pending to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

It is believed the gun discharged a short time after the arrests were made.

Gardaí said they were "engaging with the family of another juvenile following this incident, affording them all available supports".

Following the shooting, councillors expressed safety concerns for residents in the neighbourhood.

"It's shocking what's going on," said independent Councillor Gavin Pepper.

He pointed out it was the second such incident in Ballymun within days, after a loaded gun was found in a bush in Coultry Park on Sunday.

It was discovered by members of the Garda Drug Unit during a foot patrol.

A Garda spokesman said that handgun was "found with one round in the chamber" and will undergo ballistic and forensic examination.

"No arrests have been made at this stage, but investigating Gardaí are following a definite line of enquiry," they added.

Pepper said he has submitted an "emergency motion" to the council which calls for CCTV to be installed in local parks and for park rangers to carry out patrols.

Fianna Fáil councillor Keith Connolly said he understood the gun, which was picked up by the child on Tuesday, has not yet been recovered.

He claimed that after the weapon discharged, two young people arrived on bikes and took the gun away.

Connolly has called for "high-visibility policing" in the area, saying it should be similar to the level of resources deployed in Dublin city centre.

His council colleague Reddy said the most concerning aspect of the Sillogue Gardens incident was the age of those involved.