Town recovering from shock of fatal shooting

CARLOW TOWN is slowly recovering from the shock of a gunman firing shots inside Fairgreen Shopping Centre before being confronted by gardaí and then fatally shooting himself last Sunday evening.

Management in the shopping centre said yesterday (Monday) that they were very conscious of the fact that the young man, Evan Fitzgerald, died at the scene, that they hoped some normality had returned to the centre and that customers should feel safe and comfortable there.

Mr Fitzgerald from Portrition, just outside Kiltegan, entered the shopping centre just before 6.15pm last Sunday, 1 June, walked upstairs, took a gun out, went back downstairs firing shots and then entered Tesco supermarket. There, he fired more shots and entered the off-licence area, where he put his rucksack down on the floor. The young man, who was described by a garda as being “fascinated” by guns, walked out of the shopping centre and, when confronted by two armed detectives, turned the gun on himself and pulled the trigger.

John Brophy, manager of the shopping centre, has strongly refuted reports that Mr Fitzgerald was seen kneeling down in the main shopping centre and added that there had been no warning to alert his security team before the gunman started shooting.

Since the main shopping centre reopened for business on Wednesday and Tesco opened on Thursday, people have been passing on their best wishes to the centre’s staff and Tesco staff. Counselling has been made available to all staff members involved, while one shop worker appealed on social media for the public not to ask them about the event.

Insurance assessors visited the shopping centre to inspect the damage, with bullet holes on the Tesco sign and a shop window being smashed during the shooting. On the footpath outside Tesco, bouquets of flowers were laid where the young man shot himself.

Residents in the nearby New Oak housing estate are getting on with their lives, having been so close to the centre of the horrific event (see opposite page).

“A number of people sought refuge – they were visitors to the town. We could hear the shots and we heard the gardaí so, yes, it was frightening. Thankfully, no-one else was injured,” said Sharon Parker Byrne, who runs the New Oak Community Centre.

A garda source confirmed to The Nationalist that gardaí and the defence forces’ explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) team examined Mr Fitzgerald’s house immediately after the incident but found no explosive materials. A container with liquid in it, believed to be alcohol, was found in his bedroom. Gardaí also went to a neighbour’s house after they were alerted to a USB key being taped to the window there.

Mr Fitzgerald, a former steelyard worker, was on bail at the time of his death as he had been charged last March with firearms and explosives offences. He was alleged to be in possession of two guns seized in Co Kildare: a G3 Heckler & Koch machine gun and a Remington M1911 handgun bought on the dark net (see story below).

It’s also been reported that after Mr Fitzgerald’s body was released to his grieving family following a post mortem examination, a cremation ceremony took place. No further details about the cremation service are available, while gardaí appealed to people to respect the family’s privacy.

An incident room has been set up in Carlow Garda Station and they are still appealing for anyone who was in the Fairgreen Shopping Centre at the time of the shooting to contact them immediately on 059 9136620 in strictest confidence.