An armed man dressed in military attire and wearing a balaclava tried to carry out a shooting at a gym in Tullamore, Co Offaly last night.
Nobody was injured in the incident and a car was later found burned out a short distance away.
Gardaí say the man entered a gym in the Axis Business Park off the Clara Road just before 9.30pm.
Once inside he attempted to fire two shots at a man at the gym, but the gun failed to go off and he fled.
Gardaí are investigating claims the incident is linked to an ongoing feud in the midlands.
There have been a number of shootings related to the sale of illegal drugs in the region over the last 18 months.
Meanwhile, the operators of Spartacus Boxing Club are trying to reassure members of the public that the attempted shooting incident did not occur on their premises.
The attempt was made at an adjoining club in the same industrial estate.
