Gunmen shoot boxing fans at Dublin hotel; 1 dead, 2 wounded

DUBLIN – Gunmen disguised as police opened fire Friday on boxing fans at a Dublin hotel, killing one man and wounding two others in an attack that could reflect tensions within Ireland’s criminal underworld.

Fans attending the weigh-in ceremonies for two weekend boxing competitions fled in terror as the men, both believed to be armed with assault rifles, opened fire in the lobby of the Regency Hotel.

Police identified the victims as men in their 20s or 30s. One was declared dead at the scene, while two others were hospitalized with serious gunshot wounds.

Two detectives told The Associated Press it was too early to specify any motive, but cited the deadly feuding between gangland factions as one possibility. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to make statements.

A headliner in Saturday’s boxing bouts was Jamie Kavanagh, whose father – a convicted drug dealer – was shot to death in Spain in 2014. The elder Kavanagh was a senior gangland figure with roots in northern Dublin; that gang has waged a years-long feud with a rival gang from Clondalkin on Dublin’s west side.

The younger Kavanagh was due to fight Joao Bento for the vacant WBO European lightweight title. Kavanagh’s promoter, Frank Warren, was expected to issue a statement later Friday.