The suspect for Ireland’s first gangland gun killing of the year shot a man when he was just 15, gardai believe.

Sources have told The Mirror that gardai suspect the thug who is believed to have murdered Brandon Ledwidge (23) in Finglas, north Dublin on Saturday evening carried out another shooting in the same area back in 2009.

Sources say he was a juvenile at the time and was 15 when he shot criminal Gary Thompson in a pub in Finglas in January of that year.

Thompson (39) of Plunkett Drive in Finglas later went on to become part of a hit team or the Kinahan cartel – and was involved in a foiled murder bid on Patsy Hutch, the brother of Gerry The Monk Hutch.

READ MORE: Gangland hit victim targeted for death because 'he was planning to take control of mob'

That hit was foiled just a few hundred yards from Mr Hutch’s home by the Garda Emergency Response Unit.

Brothers Gary (39) and Glen Thompson (29) were arrested with another hitman just 250 metres from the north inner city home of Mr Hutch.

Gary Thompson, with an address at Plunkett Green in Finglas, Dublin 11, his brother Glen Thompson, of Plunkett Drive, also in Finglas, and Robert Browne (39), of Phibsboro Road in Phibsboro, Dublin 7 admitted to unlawful possession of four firearms with intent to endanger life at Belmont Hall Apartments, Gardiner Street, Dublin 1 on March 10, 2018.

The four firearms included a 9mm Rak submachine gun, a .38 Special Calibre Rossi Make Revolver, a 9mm Beretta 92 semi-automatic pistol and a 9mm Makarov semi-automatic pistol.

They were jailed for 12 and a half years in July 2019.

In the 2009 hit, Gary Thompson was targeted as part of a low level crime feud – and his enemies got the Ledwidge suspect to try to murder him.

Thompson was blasted in the stomach with a shotgun as he enjoyed a pint in a pub in Finglas, but survived.

The teen attacker was quickly identified, but was never charged.

He has been involved in criminality ever since and was heavily involved in the drugs gang that murdered Mr Ledwidge at his home on Barry Drive, Finglas on Saturday evening.

We revealed yesterday that gardai believe the gang killed Ledwige because senior members feared he was going to take it over.

One of the leaders of the family led gang has been charged with a serious criminal offence that is likely to see him jailed for several years – and the mob became convinced Ledwidge, who was also a member of it, wanted to take over the mob.

Officers believe gang bosses sent the suspect, who is a convicted armed robber, to Ledwidge’s house on Saturday to kill him,

A lone gunman walked up to Ledwidge’s house on Barry Road at around 6.50pm and fired several shots as he opened the door – hitting him at least three times.

Paramedics worked on him at the scene, before rushing him to Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown, west Dublin – where he lost his fight for life.

It’s also understood Ledwidge had a fist fight with a close associate of the suspect in the days leading up to the murder.

Gardai at Finglas are still probing the murder and are building a case against the suspect.

The fatal shooting comes after almost 11 full months without a gangland murder in Ireland.

Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact Finglas Garda Station on 01 666 7500, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.

Join the Irish Mirror’s breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive breaking news and the latest headlines direct to your phone. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.