Gardaí have sealed off the town of Abbeylara in County Longford after a man armed with a shotgun fired shots at them and then barricaded himself into a house. Some families have been moved from neighbouring houses for their safety. Gardaí have surrounded the house and made telephone contact with the man inside.
The incident began just after 5 o'clock this evening when the man threw his mother out of the house. Gardaí were called to the scene and the man produced a shotgun and fired five or six shots. None of the gardaí was hit but one of the shots damaged the patrol car. The man then barricaded himself into the house.
