Shootings may be linked to door security turf war

THE shooting of three people outside a Dublin pub owned by a Scottish footballer may be linked to a turf war by door security firms.

A doorman shot in the head at the Players Lounge, run by Ireland and Hibernian striker Anthony Stokes's family, is believed to have been the prime target. Two bystanders caught up in the attack were hit in the chest and the back.

The doorman, Wayne Barrett, 31, from Finglas, north Dublin, was critically injured and is currently fighting for his life at Beaumont Hospital. The other victims, one in his 20s and the other in his 30s, are being treated at the city's Mater Hospital.

One is described as critically ill and the other seriously injured.

The pair were thought to be among customers having a cigarette outside the pub in Fairview when the lone gunman opened fire at around just after midnight yesterday. Detectives believe the attacker may have fired two handguns before making off.

One theory is the shooting could be linked to a row between criminals and former IRA members over who controls door security in the area.