Gardaí have identified suspects for the murder of Neil Reilly who was killed in a group attack yesterday, during which a machete was used.

A BMW sports utility vehicle believed to have been used by the killers has also been seized and was undergoing forensic examination last night.

It was one of two vehicles used by a group of at least four men to pursue Mr Reilly’s Mazda across west Dublin after he had been involved in shooting at a house there at about 4am yesterday.

The Irish Times understands gardaí have made contact with the suspects, through a third party, and that their arrests are imminent.

The suspects were awake and had been watching television when the initial shooting took place close to them.

It meant they were in a position to rapidly pursue the gunman’s car and catch up with it.

Mr Reilly, a 36-year-old man with at least one young child, was known to gardaí and had spent time in prison for drug dealing.

Gardaí believe he was behind an attack in which shots were fired at a house on Liscarne Gardens, Ronanstown, at about 4am.

The motive for that attack has yet to be established, but Mr Reilly’s links to the drugs trade are being examined.

He sped from the scene in the Mazda, but was pursued by men from the Liscarne area in two other vehicles. The high-speed chase continued for about 5km across west Dublin and into The Glebe residential area in Esker, Lucan.

Violence

Mr Reilly was beaten by his pursuers and was slashed and stabbed before he was run over by one of his attackers’ cars.

He died in Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown, about an hour later, having been brought there in an ambulance.

Mr Reilly lived in the St Finian’s estate in Lucan and his house is less than 1km from The Glebe, where he was fatally injured.

Gardaí believe they know the identity of the person Mr Reilly was targeting when he carried out the shooting in Ronanstown.

However, they said his decision to use a shotgun and fire at the house from the road some distance away, as appears to have been the case, strongly suggested he was trying to intimidate the target rather than kill them.

Gardaí said such shootings are usually carried out by gunmen who stay in their vehicles to facilitate a quick getaway. The same sources said they had never encountered a case where a gunman was pursued and caught as Mr Reilly was.