Two men shot dead at petrol station in Ireland

Two men have been shot dead in an overnight attack, gardai said today

The pair were gunned down in the forecourt of the Tesco Clearwater petrol station in Finglas, north Dublin, at around 11.45pm yesterday.

The petrol station has been sealed off and it is understood the bodies remain at the scene.

It is understood the Tesco shopping centre was open at the time.

The shooting took place close to where Daniel Gaynor, in his mid 20s, was shot dead in August. He was gunned down on St Helena's Road in the north Dublin suburb.

One man has been charged over Mr Gaynor's killing.

Gardai said the two victims got out of a car on the forecourt and were walking to the shop when shots were fired from another car that had pulled up.

The vehicle then sped away. The dead men were believed to be in their early 20s. Gardai said the state pathologist has been contacted. Anyone with information is asked to come forward.

Local Sinn Fein councillor Dessie John Ellis said more people could have been killed.

"Apart from it being an absolute terrible tragedy it's a very reckless place to carry out a shooting," he said.

"The garage itself could have gone up and a lot of innocent people could have lost their lives.

"So it is a terrible tragedy that this should happen in such an area and there would have been people there going about their business, so apart from the tragedy of two people losing their lives, there could have been a bigger disaster."