A man has been shot in the arm while playing in a soccer match in County Tipperary on Saturday evening.
The incident took place at a sporting facility near Rear Cross in Tipperary shortly after 9 p.m. on Saturday.
Gardaí said the man was playing in a soccer game under floodlights in the sporting facility when the shooting took place.
Emergency services treated the man at the scene and he was later taken to University Hospital Limerick, where he is being treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Gardaí have preserved the scene for a forensic and technical examination and are appealing for any witnesses to come forward.
In particular, they are appealing to anyone who may have been hunting in the area around the time of the shooting.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Nenagh Garda Station on 067-50450 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.
The Irish Times reports that gardaí strongly suspect that the man may have been accidentally shot by a hunter in the area, even though they have yet to determine the origin of the gunfire.
A total of 17 people were treated for accidental gunshot wounds in Ireland in 2022, compared to 13 people who were deliberately shot in the same year.
Meanwhile, 10 people were treated for accidental gunshot wounds in Ireland in 2021, compared to nine deliberate shootings in the same year.
Gardaí believe that criminal gangs have been deterred from carrying out shootings in recent years due to a fear of similar attacks from rival gangs, according to a report in the Irish Times.
Gun crime remained very low in Ireland in 2023, despite a number of high-profile shootings towards the end of the year, including a shooting at a restaurant in Blanchardstown on Christmas Eve.
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