Gardaí were on Sunday night at the scene of a security incident at a shopping centre in Carlow own during which shots were fired and a man (20s) was fatally wounded.
Though gardaí said there was no further concern for public safety, a Defence Forces explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) team was asked to attend the scene at the Fairgreen Shopping Centre.
Gardaí suspect the dead man was carrying devices, which could be explosive or flammable, and that they were on his person at the scene. His remains were due to be examined, to determine if any devices needed to be made safe.
As a result, the man’s remains on Sunday night lay where he died, with Garda Headquarters confirming in a statement “a white Irish adult male is deceased at the scene”.
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While the dead man had not been officially identified on Sunday night, he is believed to have been granted bail last year after being charged with firearms offences.
A young girl also suffered minor injuries and received medical treatment at the shopping centre before going home with family members. She was not wounded and did not require hospitalisation.
The alarm was raised at about 6.15pm, with gardaí rushing to the shopping centre after receiving reports of a gun being discharged inside the premises. The armed man fired a number of shots and the fatal shot was self-inflicted.
Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan expressed his “solidarity with those impacted” by the “really shocking incident”, which was “something we never want or expect to happen in our communities”.
“Gun violence is very rare in Ireland, and I am determined that will remain the case,” he added. “The area in Carlow is safe. We must now allow An Garda Síochána to investigate this incident fully.”
Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Simon Harris said he had been briefed by Chief of Staff Lieut Gen Rossa Mulcahy about the assistance his Defence Forces personnel were providing to the operation.
He was “thinking of” the young injured girl and her family as well as “all those who witnessed this situation and the awful shock and upset it must have caused them”.
The shopping centre and its car park were set to remain sealed off overnight as gardaí continued their investigations, including the EOD team checks. They were due to be followed by the removal of the dead man’s remains and a forensic examination of the scene.
Though video footage of some of the incident unfolding was shared on social media, the Garda urged people not to share videos, including on messaging apps. It has asked anyone who recorded the incident to make their footage available to investigating gardaí based in Carlow town.
“The (retail) premises has been evacuated and the scene is preserved,” the Garda statement confirmed. “The Army EOD team has been requested to attend. At this time, there is no further concern for public safety.”
