Botched hit | 

Tristan Sherry shot in head with own gun before stabbing as security op planned for funeral

Armed gardaí will be present for service as fears of reprisals grow

Today at 07:40

A gunman who opened fire in a Dublin restaurant on Christmas Eve was shot with his own weapon before being killed.

A significant garda operation will be put in place for the funeral of Tristan Sherry (26) who died following the botched gangland hit at Browne’s Steakhouse in Blanchardstown.

The father of one entered the restaurant shortly after 8pm and opened fire at a group with a sub-machine gun, hitting a 47-year-old man several times.

The gunman attempted to get away through a door, but it was locked. He was then confronted, disarmed and stabbed several times.

The Sunday World has learned that he was also shot once in the head during the confrontation. The gun was not located at the scene and gardaí are still searching for the weapon.

Sherry was associated with a crime group in Finglas led by a drug dealer known as Mr Flashy. Gardaí believe the shooting is linked to a feud between this gang and associates of the 47-year-old gun victim, who remains in a serious condition in hospital.

This dispute has previously been linked to a spate of shootings, assaults and petrol-bomb attacks, while gardaí have also foiled a number of assassination attempts linked to the feud.

Funeral details for Sherry are yet to be announced but it is expected to be held in the coming days. A significant security operation, involving armed gardaí, is expected to be in place over fears of reprisal attacks.

One source said: “Gardaí have already carried out searches in an attempt to prevent any further incidents and there are serious concerns of retaliation.”

After the shooting, a web page was set up for Sherry on the fundraising website GoFundMe, with his family trying to raise money for his funeral costs. The page was removed after several hundred euro had been donated.

Footage has also emerged of the ­attack on Sherry by the victim’s ­associates, which showed him bloodied on the floor of the restaurant before being struck with an object.

Gardaí have reviewed CCTV footage of the incident and investigations into both the shooting and subsequent killing are ongoing.

Detectives are also attempting to ­identify Sherry’s accomplice, who was also armed when he entered the restaurant but fled the scene.

Gardaí have appointed a senior ­investigating officer to oversee the ­inquiry, while a family liaison officer is also assisting Sherry’s family.

The shooting has been condemned by senior political figures, including Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Justice Minister Helen McEntee.

/

Gardaí braced for revenge attacks after gunman Tristan Sheery overpowered and killed in Christmas Eve shooting

Local gardaí are also being assisted by detectives attached to the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, while increased uniformed and armed patrols have been deployed to the area.

“An Garda Síochána is aware of ­videos of the incident and immediate aftermath which are in circulation on social media and messaging apps,” a spokesperson said. “We are appealing to the public for these videos not to be further distributed.

“We are also appealing to the public to be aware of a significant level of speculation, misinformation and disinformation which is in circulation.”

Joe Coates, whose barbershop, JC’s, is around the corner from Browne’s Steakhouse, said he wasn’t fearful that the violent events of Christmas Eve would hurt business.

He said his premises was set on fire last year and he has seen a number of videos of violent incidents in the local area in recent months.

He told the Irish Independent: “In the local area it has been brewing for the last six to eight months or probably a year. It’s going to come to a head at some stage.

“I’ve been there 25 years. I’m not going to say you’re used to what happened the other night specifically, but you’re used to it.”

Mr Coates said he grew up in Finglas in the 1980s, adding: “The lads now, and the lads the other night, are a different kettle of fish.

“I think every generation is getting worse. You just get on with it. That’s the way it is unfortunately.”