Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
Updated 8.20pm
GARDAÍ ARE APPEALING for people who regularly use Bray Boxing Club to speak with them if they noticed any suspicious behaviour at the gym in recent days or weeks.
The appeal follows a shooting at the Co Wicklow gym this morning that left one man dead and two others seriously injured.
The incident at Bray Boxing Club occurred at 6.55am. A gunman walked into the gym and fired a number of shots. He was wearing dark clothing and had his face covered.
One man aged 50 was killed in the shooting. Gardaí originally stated he was aged 30, but they issued a correction this afternoon. He has been named as local man Bobby Messett.
The father of three from Kilmacanogue in north Wicklow was very highly thought of and was known in his community for his love of exercise. Gardaí believe he was a completely innocent victim who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Gardai wish to trace the movements of the silver coloured Volkswagen Caddy van with Northern Irish registration used in the shooting. It is believed that this van travelled from Bray through Shankill and the Cornelscourt area before being abandoned on Pigeon House Road at approximately 8.05am where a male was seen leaving the van and cycling away.
Gardai appealed:
Messett was pronounced dead at the scene. Speaking to reporters this afternoon, Superintendent Patrick Ward said the man was attending a fitness session at the gym, as he regularly did.
They were just about to start their session when somebody came in – a gunman – he was carrying a firearm. We believe it was a handgun and he started opening fire just as they were about to start the session and three people received gunshot wounds.
Pete Taylor, father and former trainer of Irish boxing champion Katie Taylor, was injured in the incident and is in serious condition. The 57-year-old sustained injuries to his arm and chest.
Another man, aged 35, was also injured and has been taken to St Vincent’s Hospital. It is understood he suffered gunshot wounds to the leg.
“We have no known motive at the moment for the crime, we don’t yet know why the crime was carried out,” Superintendent Ward told reporters.
Following examination of CCTV in the area, gardaí are now appealing for information about a silver coloured Volkswagen Caddy with Northern Irish plates, believed to have been used by the shooter.
The van is believed to have travelled along Seapoint Road towards Bray Town Centre. There are also possibly sightings on the Dublin Road, but these have not yet been confirmed. Anyone with dashcam footage of the area from that time of the morning is asked to share it with detectives.
Gardaí believe there was just one shooter, but they are trying to establish whether there was someone else in the van with him.
Superintendent Ward said there were up to 20 people in the gym this morning when the shooting occurred and investigators are asking witnesses to speak to them about what they saw. They are also asking people who regularly use the gym and who may have noticed something suspicious recently to get in contact.
Gardaí are conducting door-to-door enquiries and are collecting CCTV footage.
Olympic, European and World champion boxer Katie Taylor previously trained at Bray Boxing Club, but no longer has any involvement with the gym. It is understood she is currently training in the United States. The club was set up by her father.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie, local Sinn Féin TD John Brady, said he was “devastated” by today’s news.
He said many local people train in the gym and the victims are “good decent people”.
Brady said it was too early to speculate about a motive, but said he is thinking of the families and friends of the victims.
“I’m absolutely shocked, anyone could have been in there. It seems like it’s totally indiscriminate.”
Local woman Elizabeth Tynnan, who works in her family’s factory next to the club, said she saw people being taken away in ambulances this morning when she arrived.
“It’s crazy, I could have been in the middle of it.”
She said Pete Taylor runs a bootcamp class at 7am and many of the local young men attend.
The woman said the club is “fantastic” and that it had done “wonders” for the town.
Speaking to RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan described the incident as “shocking”. He said gardaí are “actively engaged” at the scene and are appealing for people with any information to contact them.
The minister said it is important that “the appropriate level of evidence is coming out” at an early stage in this investigation.
Gardaí are at the scene and the garda helicopter is scanning the area. They are appealing for witnesses to contact Bray Garda Station on 01 6665300.
- With reporting by Christina Finn at the scene in Bray, Co Wicklow and Garreth MacNamee
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Some people need to get over themselves! It really doesn’t matter whether the shooter or the victims are from the settled or travelling community in the wider scheme of things! The fact is, someone out there, tried to kill multiple people and if/when caught, will no doubt get a ridiculous sentence from our inept judicial system! With no obvious deterrents and a government with no forethought or realistic plans of action to seriously tackle criminality etc…. it’s only going to get worse!
@Carlovian77:Story from 2004.
I’m more interested in the current slight of hand FG/FF government and their sneaky cuts while at the same time giving themselves pay increases, and frankly you should be too.
@David Huston: It’s irrelevant that it’s from 2004 – it’s still the same justice system in place. Niall Binead correctly criticizes it but I doubt very much he was criticizing the ridiculously short 4 year sentence handed down in 2004.
@Carlovian77: says the man/woman with an anonymous profile! Try stay on topic, you’ll come across as less of a troll!
@Michael Powell: …. because I’m not a trolls little pleasure, like I said to Mr. Anonymous, try stay on topic. As for your previous well thought out mature post, ‘Why not answer him.’ Who are you, my father?
@Niall Binéad: I just don’t like how you put comments up pontificating about the perceived ineptitude of the Government and the Justice System and yet you have quite happily circumvented them to suit your own agenda.
Last thing you want after a bank holiday weekend.
@⚡ Seánie ⚡: The last thing one would want in general.
Does it seem worse to you after a bank holiday?!! Strange thing to say…
@Andy Bennett: need to eye roll emoji for your comment Andy…
@Joseph Dempsey: sespit of a premises??? It’s a state of the art gym thanks to Katie.
Generic comment.
Drove by about 20 mins ago lot of garda a still about more of a crime gang thing it seems
It looks like a premeditated, possibly a contract murder, possibly a hired professional murderer from elsewhere. The daily headlines of the past couple of decades suggest that we are living through a nightmare era similar to the murderous times of Chicago in the 1920s and 1930s. How did the police and American society bring that nightmare to an end?
@Garreth Byrne: premeditated? No I’m sure they just happened to have a gun in the car and were worried they were carrying too much ammunition
After having a private chat with some locals from Bray area.
Word going around this is going to enflame a simmering problem that was going on between certain individuals for a good while now .
And you can be fairly certain that it will kick-off a murderous feud ?
@Jeremy Jimmy Carlo: you can be ‘fairly certain’ complete with a question mark at the end. Classic fishwife
@Jeremiah Dempsey: Is this all your good at?????,this is a serious incident with peoples lives and families at risk
Hope they are ok bit early for duster
@Aidan Augustus Daly: Am I missing something here? Comments seem very disjointed as if a lot deleted. Bit of a duster seems to trivialize a killing just a tad.
@Jeremiah Dempsey: The libel laws need to change. but there doesn’t seem to be any political call for it. the labour party tried with a referendum on it but got the wording wrong. how convenient.
What’s the world coming to….
@Barry Barrison: Assume you have knowledge the rest of us dont? Or wouldnt be making this comment??
@Barry Barrison: good jaysus Barry, it’s fair enough a comment like this is deleted
@Jeremiah Dempsey: he was running the 7am class so it might not be as far fetched as u think
@Barry Barrison: 7am classes are run all over Ireland.. what a stupid comment!!
@Barry Barrison: it’s being said elsewhere that he is one of the injured
@Jane: you can’t say that apparently or mention his name as your comment will be removed
@Nucky: Pete Taylor has now been confirmed as one of the injured. Absolutely awful.
@FrustratedASDMum: I know I posted that information here over an hour ago as it was reported on the news, and they removed it here and still haven’t adjusted the story. I give up
@FrustratedASDMum: and yet comments about drugs , cash retainers and hits from gangland families is allowed
have your say