A gunman opened fire in Bratislava's Dubliner Irish Pub on July 7 at 21:00, killing two men and injuring another, said Bratislava Police spokesman Jaroslav Sahula. One of the victims, 30-year-old Ján Š. of Bratislava, died at the scene while the other, 26-year-old Tomaš A. of Bratislava, died in hospital at noon on July 8. Marian Š., the 33-year-old brother of Ján Š., was shot in the shoulder and was not seriously injured.
According to Sahula, the two brothers had been drinking in the Irish Pub when the gunman walked in and sat down at their table. The conversion then became heated and soon erupted into "physical contact. The gunmen then pulled a pistol and fired three shots at the brothers, fatally striking Ján Š. with two bullets and hitting Marian Š with the third.
Marian Š. then began to chase the gunman, who responded by firing over his shoulder into the crowded pub. Bystander Tomaš A. was fatally shot in the left temple. The gunman then escaped and has not been apprehended.
An eye-witness to the shooting, who asked not to be named, described the scene as "very bloody."
"When the shooting started, everyone went down or was pushed down. But we really didn't know what had happened."
The eye-witness said that confusion followed the shooting as some people had believed that a firecracker had been lit or a bottle of champagne opened. "A lot of people ran out immediately," he said. "But... a lot of people also ran over to the [wounded men] to see what had happened."
The bar was then immediately closed as paramedics worked to save the injured men and police questioned eye-witnesses to gather facts. The Irish Pub did not open at its regular opening hour on July 9.
Ján and Marian Š. owned a reastaurant in Bratislava, Sahula said. The police say they are considering many motives for the murder, including the possibility that the gunman was a hired hit-man. Sahula said that the police plan on investigating Ján and Marian's business and personal activities for any clues that could lead to the motive and the murderer. He added that he expected the police to solve the murder since many people had witnessed the incident.
Tomaš A. was an innocent third party, Sahula said. He was reported to be at the Irish Pub celebrating his recent graduation from Unversity. Tomaš A. leaves behind a one-year-old daughter.
Additional reporting
by Peter Barecz
