Wednesday 28 October 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 3200Possession of a firearm, producing a firearm in the course of a dispute, possession of cannabis · Co. Dublin · 28 Apr 2026

Josh Larkin, 20, granted bail over handgun brandished outside Ballymun Garda station

Josh Larkin, 20, was charged with weapons offences after brandishing a black handgun outside Ballymun Garda station on 28 April 2026 in an incident connected to a local gang feud. The gun was later found in a bush and accidentally discharged by an 11-year-old boy, injuring a six-year-old child with the recoil.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrested29 Apr
    4 reports
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In court30 Apr
  5. Verdict
  6. Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
64 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatThe man threw the suspected handgun into bushes while fleeing from officers. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatA child picked up the gun and fired it into the air. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatNobody was injured during the shooting incident. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe gun was gone by the time officers returned to the scene after catching the man. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatGardaí suspect the weapon was taken by two men seen in the area on an electric bike. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatGardaí made two arrests in response to a firearm incident in Ballymun (dublinlive.ie)
  • whatUnarmed uniformed Gardaí made an on-foot pursuit of two males, one on an e-scooter (dublinlive.ie)
  • whatThe two arrested were a man in his 20s and a juvenile in his teens (dublinlive.ie)
  • whatA firearm was reported to have been discharged in the area shortly after the incident (dublinlive.ie)
  • whatNo injuries were reported (dublinlive.ie)
  • whatThe man threw the suspected handgun into bushes while fleeing from officers during a chase (dublinlive.ie)
  • whatA child picked up the dropped handgun and fired it into the air (dublinlive.ie)
  • whatNo one was injured during the shooting incident (dublinlive.ie)
  • whatOfficers caught up to the man and discovered he had discarded the gun, but the weapon was gone by the time they returned to the scene (dublinlive.ie)
  • whatGardaí were still searching for the firearm on Wednesday evening, more than 24 hours after the incident. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe child who fired the gun is believed to be 11 years old. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatA boy the 11-year-old was with at the time is aged 6. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe handgun was loaded with a round in the chamber. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatAnother loaded gun was found in Coultry Park, Ballymun, on Sunday, discovered by the Ballymun Drugs Unit during foot patrols. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe 11-year-old retrieved the gun and discharged it, with the 6-year-old looking on. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatA young male on an e-bike arrived at the scene shortly after the gun was fired and took the gun away. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatJosh Larkin, 20, was charged with weapons offences for possessing a black handgun and producing it in the course of a dispute. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatOne of three males in an altercation brandished a handgun at people and fled on an e-scooter when approached. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatGardaí gave chase to Sillogue Park where the accused was arrested. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatVideo evidence showed the accused placing the gun under a bush and throwing away gloves and a pair of underpants he had around his neck as a snood. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatA six-year-old child picked up the handgun from a bush in Sillogue Gardens and handed it to his 11-year-old brother, who accidentally discharged it. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe six-year-old child was treated for a shoulder injury from the gun recoil. (irishtimes.com)
  • whereThe incident occurred in the Ballymun area, Dublin (dublinlive.ie)
  • whereThe incident took place at Gateway Crescent, outside Ballymun Garda station. (irishtimes.com)
  • whereLarkin is of Poppintree Crescent, Ballymun. (irishtimes.com)
  • whenGardaí were alerted to a man with a firearm outside Ballymun Garda station at around 3pm on Tuesday. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whenThe incident took place on 28 April 2026 at approximately 3pm (dublinlive.ie)
  • whenGardaí were alerted to a man with a firearm outside Ballymun Garda station at around 3pm on Tuesday 28 April 2026 (dublinlive.ie)
  • whenThe incident occurred at about 3.13pm on Tuesday 28 April 2026. (irishtimes.com)
  • causeThe incident is linked to a feud between two young gangs fighting for control of the drugs market in Ballymun. (irishmirror.ie, dublinlive.ie)
  • causeThe gun appears to have been brought into the area as part of an ongoing feud between two drugs gangs. (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationArmed Gardaí and the Garda Dog Unit were drafted in to search for the weapon. (irishmirror.ie, dublinlive.ie)
  • investigationThe search went on for a number of hours but the weapon was not found. (irishmirror.ie)
  • investigationTwo people were arrested: a man in his 20s and a teenager. (irishmirror.ie)
  • investigationThe teenager was released from custody while the man remains detained. (irishmirror.ie)
  • investigationBoth were detained under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act 1939 at a Garda station in the Dublin region (dublinlive.ie)
  • investigationGardaí are engaging with the family of another juvenile and affording them all available supports (dublinlive.ie)
  • investigationA Senior Investigating Officer was appointed to lead the investigation (dublinlive.ie)
  • investigationThe search continued for a number of hours but the weapon was not found (dublinlive.ie)
  • investigationTwo people were arrested in connection with the incident: a man in his 20s and a teenager (dublinlive.ie)
  • investigationThe teenager was released from custody while the man in his 20s remains detained (dublinlive.ie)
  • investigationThe juvenile was subsequently released. (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationThe adult remains in custody and gardaí believe he has important information on the origins of the gun, who took it from the scene, and where it was taken to. (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationA major alert was sent out and Garda members from Ballymun station and specialist units searched for the firearm. (irishtimes.com)
  • chargeLarkin also faces a connected charge of possessing cannabis at Sillogue Park on the same date. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtBail was set at €5,000, of which €1,500 in cash must be lodged by Larkin, with an independent surety of €15,000 of which €5,000 must be paid into court. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtLarkin was remanded in custody with consent to bail to appear at Cloverhill District Court on 7 May 2026 for DPP directions. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtLegal aid was granted to the accused. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe man is suspected to have been an associate of another person who was being held for questioning at the time. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThere has been a spate of incidents across Ballymun over the past year including petrol bomb attacks, shots fired and assault incidents. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe man with the gun is suspected to have been an associate of another person who was being held for questioning at the time (dublinlive.ie)
  • otherGardaí suspect the weapon was taken by two men seen in the area on an electric bike at the time (dublinlive.ie)
  • otherThere has been a spate of incidents across the Ballymun area over the past year including petrol bomb attacks, shots being fired and assault incidents (dublinlive.ie)
  • otherThe feud is one of two serious gang-based disputes escalating in Ballymun, involving arson attacks and guns being fired. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherKevin Kelly, 23, died last June after being hit by a car on Balbutcher Lane, believed to be part of feud-related violence. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe incident was connected to a local gang feud that has resulted in multiple other incidents involving weapons and violence. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe weapon is unaccounted for and investigating gardaí believe it has fallen into the hands of criminal elements in the area. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe accused made no reply when charged at Ballymun Garda station. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe accused is unemployed and has no bench warrant history. (irishtimes.com)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 30 Apr2026
    In courtirishtimes.com, first report
    Handgun ‘casually’ brandished outside Ballymun Garda station, later fired by child, court told

    Bail hearing at Dublin District Court; Judge Brendan O'Reilly granted bail over Garda opposition with cash lodgements and surety conditions; remanded in custody with consent to bail to appear at Cloverhill District Court on 7 May 2026 for DPP directions.

    accused, Josh Larkin, 20, male, named, irish (judged from name)Josh Larkinvictim, 6, male
  2. 29 Apr2026
    Arrestedirishtimes.com, follow-up
    Man in custody as gardaí search for firearm discharged by child in Ballymun

    Provides the full sequence of events: a male was spotted near Ballymun Garda station with a gun, pursued, and threw it into hedges; the 11-year-old picked it up and fired it; a young male on an e-bike took the gun away. A man in his 20s and a juvenile were arrested under section 30; the juvenile was released. The gun had not been found 24+ hours later. Context on the Ballymun gang feud and a second gun found in Coultry Park is also given.

    victim, 11, malevictim, 6, malesuspect, 20s, malesuspect, male
  3. 29 Apr2026
    Arresteddublinlive.ie, follow-up
    Gardai search for gun dropped in Dublin - and fired by child who picked it up

    Reports the initial search for the dropped handgun, the child firing it into the air, the arrest of a man in his 20s (still detained) and a teenager (released), and links the incident to a feud between two young gangs over the Ballymun drugs market.

    suspect, 20s, malesuspect, teenager
  4. 29 Apr2026
    Arresteddublinlive.ie, follow-up
    Two arrested over firearm incident as Gardaí appeal for witnesses

    Provides arrest details: two males (man in 20s and juvenile in teens) detained under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act 1939; juvenile released, adult remains in custody; Gardaí engaging with family of another juvenile; SIO appointed; appeal for witnesses and footage.

    suspect, 20s, malesuspect, teens, male
  5. 29 Apr2026
    Arrestedirishmirror.ie, follow-up
    Gardai search for handgun picked up and fired by young child

    Provides details of the chase and the child firing the gun into the air, confirms two arrests (a man in his 20s and a teenager) with the teenager released and the man detained, and links the incident to an escalating gang feud over the Ballymun drugs market.

    suspect, 20s, malesuspect, teenager