Taoiseach Micheál Martin has criticised “blatant misinformation, untruths and lies” published online about the weekend shooting incident at a shopping centre in Carlow.
An Garda Síochána said a man, named locally as Evan Fitzgerald (20s), from Kiltegan, Co Wicklow, walked through the Fairgreen Shopping Centre firing a shotgun into the air on Sunday.
He then shot himself after being challenged by armed gardaí. No one else was injured by any of the shots fired, but a young girl sustained a minor leg injury when she fell while running from the centre, the force said.
Gardaí on Wednesday said the investigation into the incident was ongoing and that the results of a postmortem on the deceased were not being “released for operational reasons”.
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Speaking to reporters on his way to Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting, Mr Martin said he had seen incorrect information about the incident online. He said this included social media posts suggesting seven people had been killed in the incident and that “people had been shot who had not been shot”.
He said misinformation can result in a lot of “public disquiet” and needs to be addressed.
“There is a family in mourning right now. The level of misinformation on Sunday was quite shocking, and we can’t just ignore that and say: ‘Well, we don’t have to do anything about that.’”
Asked about whether regulations on misinformation could have an impact on a person’s right to free speech, Mr Martin said: “Obviously, in any analysis and evaluation of policy, account will be taken in respect of protecting freedom of speech”.
He added that “it’s not freedom of speech, really, when it’s just a blatant lie and untruth which can create a lot of public disquiet, as we’ve seen”.
“So these issues do need to be addressed, there are challenging issues. There are very strong protections in our Constitution and in our laws on freedom of speech,” he said.
“So I wouldn’t overstate the impact on clamping down on blatant lies online as a sort of incursion or an undermining of freedom of speech. We believe in freedom of speech in this country, we will always support it and protect it.”
The Fairgreen Shopping Centre reopened on Wednesday but gardaí have not yet given clearance for the Tesco supermarket there to do so.
Pa Cahill (48), who lives in an estate next to the centre, said he was doing some painting in the garden on Sunday evening when he heard “loud bangs and pops”.
“Next thing I saw when I began looking around were dozens of people running down our road from the shopping centre,” he said. “They were screaming, shouting and absolutely terrified. Some were even gasping for breath.”
Mr Cahill said he brought his children inside before going back out and ushering some of those running from the shopping centre into his home in New Oak.
“It was mostly women who were running and they were really, really shocked and visibly shaking. They asked me could they come in and of course I let as many as I could into the house,” he said. “I didn’t have time to think about what was unfolding as I wanted to make sure my own children were all right and those who were looking for help.”
Mr Cahill said he then went up the road and looked over the shopping centre wall and could see “gardaí everywhere”.
“I went back to my house and tried to reassure them that everything was under control. About 30 minutes later it was evident that it was safe around the centre and area so the group of people felt it was okay to leave after a lot of reassurance.”
An Garda Síochána has again appealed for witnesses who were in the shopping centre between 6pm and 6.30pm on Sunday, to contact Carlow Garda station on (059) 9136620 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666111. – Additional reporting: PA
