An innocent taxi driver was shot in the back during a brutal gang feud shooting yesterday.
John Myles was not the intended target when a gunman opened fire on his car in Drogheda, Co Louth.
Meanwhile, there were fears last night after a bag found in North Dublin containing two arms and a leg was linked to the feud.
A relative of the taxi man said: “He was doing his job and picked up a fare. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He is a good man."
It’s understood the intended target, suspected of being a key member of one of two gangs involved in a bloody drugs turf war, escaped injury and was able to run from the taxi.
Mr Myles, who is in his 30s, radioed his base to say he had been shot and to call an ambulance.
He was taken to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda and his injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
The intended target, who is known to gardai, managed to flee the scene uninjured.
The getaway car used by the gunman is believed to be a black Volkswagen which sped through the streets of the town after the attack.
It was later found burnt out outside Dundalk.
The shooting is connected to a deadly drugs turf war between two gangs, which has already claimed two lives.
Keith Branigan, 29, was gunned down at a caravan park in Clogherhead, Co Louth, in September and two months later 39-year-old Richie Carberry was shot dead as he arrived home in Bettystown in Co Meath.
And there were fears last night that the bag found in Moatview, Coolock, North Dublin, containing the arms and leg of a dismembered victim is linked to the Drogheda feud.
Gardai were last night searching for the head and torso.
Labour Senator Ged Nash said of the shooting last night: “This is a disgraceful occurrence in Drogheda. An innocent man has been caught up in the crossfire of a deadly drug feud between two warring gangs.
“I spoke to a senior local garda who described exactly what happened.
“I’ve got so many calls wondering why the individuals responsible aren’t lifted and tried before the Special Criminal Court. Local gardai are doing an incredibly good job with limited resources.
“This feud doesn’t represent us, it doesn’t reflect who Drogheda people are.
“It’s a very small number of criminals involved in this. They should be deprived of their liberty as quickly as possible.”
