Man crtical after shooting himself in garda station
A man was tonight in a critical condition in hospital after shooting himself in the head in a Dublin garda station.
The man sidestepped a member of the public at Fitzgibbon Street Garda Station, and told officers: ‘‘I’m going to do it’’, before turning a handgun on himself.
He was taken from the north city centre station to the nearby Mater Hospital where he immediately underwent surgery.
The man, in his early- to mid-30s, had no identification on him - all he was carrying was a pistol silencer in his pocket.
Three officers were on duty in the reception area at the time. None was injured but all were being checked by a doctor tonight.
The member of the public has also undergone a medical examination.
In a news conference just three floors above the scene of the shooting, Superintendent Albert Treacy said: ‘‘A man walked into the public office in the station and inflicted gunshot wounds to his head.
‘‘One garda was attending to a customer at the counter when this man walked up behind the customer. He walked up to the counter, pulled out the gun and inflicted the injuries on himself.
‘‘He was immediately attended to by gardai on duty at the station and was removed by ambulance to the Mater Hospital where he is presently undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit.
‘‘He is in a critical condition,’’ he said.
Mr Treacy said gardai had not yet established the man’s identity or a motive for the shooting.
"We are endeavouring to try and identify this man, so far our efforts have not been successful,’’ he said.
The man was about 5ft 10in tall, of medium build with brown receding hair and several days’ beard growth.
He was wearing a brown jacket, a blue jumper with a cream stripe, blue jeans and brown shoes.
Mr Treacy said: ‘‘He muttered something like ‘I am going to do it now’ or words to that effect’’ before pulling the trigger.
‘‘There was one member of the public being attended to at the station. We have secured the services of a doctor to attend to him,’’ he said.
‘‘We have also had a number of gardai attended to with welfare officers and a doctor. It was a traumatic incident,’’ he added.
The station was tonight closed and the front office sealed off.
A team of forensic officers from the Garda Technical Bureau was called in to examine the scene.
Detectives were interviewing those who witnessed the shooting.
