By Keith Idec
Pete Taylor, the father and former trainer of Katie Taylor, was shot Tuesday during an attack at the boxing gym he runs in Ireland.
Pete Taylor, 57, and an unidentified 35-year-old man were taken to an area hospital for treatment, according to various media outlets in the United Kingdom. A 50-year-old man, who also was not identified, died from gunshot wounds suffered in the attack.
Irish police told the BBC that Taylor’s injuries and the injuries of the 35-year-old man are serious, but not life-threatening.
The incident reportedly occurred at approximately 6:55 a.m. IST on Tuesday at the Bray Boxing Club in Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland, Katie Taylor’s hometown. Irish police reported that there were roughly 15 or 20 people using the gym at the time of the attack.
Sky Sports reported Tuesday morning that the attacker entered the gym, fired numerous shots and fled in a silver Volkswagen. The shooter still wasn’t in custody at the time this story was posted and police were seeking the public’s assistance in making an arrest.
Pete Taylor trained his daughter throughout her hugely successful amateur career, which included winning the women’s lightweight gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Taylor turned pro after losing at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and is no longer trained by her father.
She is 9-0 as a professional and has recorded four knockouts. In her last fight, the 31-year-old Taylor beat Argentina’s Victoria Bustos by 10-round unanimous decision April 28 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn to retain her WBA lightweight title and win the IBF 135-pound championship from Bustos (18-5).
Pete Taylor, a native of England and a former amateur champion, was an electrician before turning his attention to training his daughter and numerous other amateurs. He also worked with Adam Nolan, who represented Ireland at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.