Terrifying moment gunmen storm boxing weigh-in at Dublin hotel before shooting man dead

Gun attack: Two dressed as gunmen storm the Dublin hotel
Independent.ie/INM/Splash News
Sebastian Mann6 February 2016
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Terrifying photographs captured the moment two gunmen disguised as SWAT team police officers stormed an Irish hotel and shot three men in a brazen daylight rampage.

One man was killed in the shoot-out and two others were injured when the men armed with assault rifles opened fire at a boxing weigh-in at the Regency Hotel in Dublin.

In total four men in disguises carried out the attack. At least one of them was dressed as a woman.

Today a major manhunt was under way to find the attackers, who burst into the venue, where up to 300 fans including children had gathered for the event on Friday ahead of a fight between Jamie Kavanagh and Antonio Jao Bento.

Disguise: The gunmen dressed in police SWAT gear
Independent.ie/INM/Splash News

Bystanders ran for their lives as the gang, one of whom was disguised as a "woman and wearing an auburn wig" and the others, dressed as "crime drama" police officers, opened fire in the lobby.

The victims, aged in their 20s and 30s were taken to hospital where a man in his 30s, who was "riddled" with bullets, later died.

Attack: Police remove a body from the scene of the shooting at the Regency Hotel in Dublin
Reuters

Gardai Chief Superintendent Barry O'Brien said it was a "particularly nasty incident" that had involved "severe weapons".

He said: "Two individuals were wearing what was described as police-type uniforms. In that regard it was described as a SWAT uniform with metal helmets, similar to what you see on crime dramas."

Bystanders in the lobby of the Regency Hotel on the Swords Road, around two miles north of Dublin city centre, described cowering for their lives as the attackers fired multiple rounds at the men.

Kevin McAnena, a sports reporter who was covering the event, said one of two gunmen pointed a "big, massive" gun at him while he sought cover behind the reception desk.

Mr McAnena said: "I was shouting even before he came over, 'don't shoot, don't shoot' ... I've never felt terror like it."

Mr McAnena said he saw a gunman firing into a victim's leg.

"The man who is now dead - he was no more than six foot from me.

It is believed a number of gangland figures were expected to be attending the weigh-in.

Speculation has centred on a feud between Dublin gangsters and an Irish criminal outfit based in the south of Spain.

The boxing chief was adamant the attackers were not targeting the boxers gathered for the weigh-in, but other individuals who were hit in the hotel reception.

The gunmen fled the attack in a van, which was later found set alight nearby.

Additional reporting by PA

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