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One dead, two injured in Dublin boxing weigh-in shooting

A Garda cordon outside the Regency Hotel in Dublin after one man was shot dead yesterday. Picture by Niall Carson/PA
A Garda cordon outside the Regency Hotel in Dublin after one man was shot dead yesterday. Picture by Niall Carson/PA A Garda cordon outside the Regency Hotel in Dublin after one man was shot dead yesterday. Picture by Niall Carson/PA

A 34-year-old man was killed and another two men were seriously injured in a gangland shooting at a boxing weigh-in at a Dublin hotel yesterday.

Four men carrying handguns and AK-47s were involved in the attack at the Regency Hotel in Drumcondra at around 2.30pm. One of the attackers was dressed as a woman while another two were dressed in fake police SWAT uniforms.

Young children were among up to 300 people forced to flee the scene as a man was shot dead in the lobby

Gardaí launched a murder investigation following the fatal attack.

The dead man was named as David Byrne, from Raleigh Square in Crumlin, a known associate of the Kinahan crime gang.

One of the two injured men is believed to be Daniel Kinahan, son of Dublin crime boss Christy Kinahan. Christy Kinahan is a convicted drug dealer suspected of importing large drug shipments.

The two injured men were treated in hospital last night. One was shot in the leg, while the second was shot in the stomach.

The gunmen escaped in a silver van which was found burnt out in the Charlemont Estate shortly after the shooting.

The boxing weigh-in was taking place ahead of the now-cancelled 'Clash of the Clans' boxing bout at the National Stadium in Dublin tonight.

Mel Christle, president of the Boxing Union of Ireland, said the last of the boxers weighing in had just stood down when he heard gunfire erupting outside the room.

"There was a horrific cracking noise, in front of me, out of the banquet room - it was a place called the Regency Suite," he said.

"There was an incredible noise out there, and that is where I saw a body, a corpse, lying literally at the edge of the reception desk.

"So I'm sure he (the victim) was trapped - he was riddled."

Mr Christle said one of the gunmen was dressed up as a woman and aged in his early twenties.

The boxing chief said the attackers did not target the boxers but other people shot in the hotel reception.

He said some people dived for cover when they realised what was happening.

"I actually saw the sheer fear that will live with them for a long, long time," he said.

"It actually touched me, how afraid - I'm sure adults were afraid, but my God, the children couldn't believe what was going on."

The headline bout of the event was due to between Jamie Kavanagh and Joao Bento for the vacant WBO European Lightweight Title.

Kavanagh later tweeted: "Anyone asking I'm OK! Thanks you for asking. I was lucky today is all I can say....."

Gardai are believed to be investigating if the shooting is linked to the murder of Kavanagh's father Gerard 'Hatchet' Kavanagh, who was shot dead in Spain last September.

It is believed he was murdered by a drugs cartel and yesterday's shooting could be in retaliation for the killing.

His uncle Paul Kavanagh was also shot dead in Dublin in March 2015.

Gardaí are also probing links between yesterday's shooting and the murder of 33-year-old criminal Gary Hutch - who was shot dead in Spain last year.