 Apparently, to get a better view of the laneway, Collins left the protection of the armoured car and moved even farther back along the road.Now standing in the open, he fired a couple of shots and as he was once more working the bolt of his rifle he was struck in the head by a bullet fired by one of the ambushing party – Denis "Sonny" O'Neill, a former British Army sniper.Collins was the only fatality sustained in the ambush, although another member of his party suffered a neck wound.