Gardaí have said that the shooting incident in Carlow town yesterday which left one man dead and a child with minor injuries was "a terrifying experience for every person that was present".
At a press conference this afternoon, gardaí said it had received multiple reports of shots fired in the Fairgreen Shopping Centre in the town and responded at the scene, where they were met with a large number of people running from the premises.
An unarmed uniformed unit arrived, where they observed the suspect - a white Irish man in his 20s - exiting the shopping centre.
The suspect then discharged a shotgun into the air.
Another plain-clothed armed garda unit responded with their official firearms and identified themselves as armed gardaí.
The suspect then discharged his firearm again, self-inflicting a fatal wound. He has been named locally as Evan Fitzgerald from Portrushen Upper near Kiltegan, Co Wicklow.
No garda shots were fired during the incident.
The man who has died was described as having a fascination with guns when he was granted bail for firearm offences last year.
Gardaí told a court he had apparently obtained guns for recreational use and not with criminal intent. He was granted bail on strict conditions.
Assistant Commissioner Paula Hilman from the Eastern Region said gardaí now understand that the man had walked through the shopping centre and had discharged the firearm into the air on a number of occasions.
She said nobody was injured by the shots discharged by the suspect.
A young girl in the shopping centre with her parents sustained a minor leg injury when she fell while running from the scene.
Watch: Gardaí say suspect walked through shopping centre and fired shots in air
"This was meant to be a normal day out on a bank holiday weekend, and this was a terrifying experience for every person that was present," she said.
Following the incident, gardaí implemented a cordon around the shopping centre and carpark.
A bottle containing an unknown substance was observed by gardaí on the deceased, gardaí said.
The army bomb disposal unit subsequently conducted examinations and declared the scene safe.
Gardaí confirmed that the scene of the shopping centre and carpark remain sealed off while the garda technical unit and the State Pathologist conduct examinations.
The body of the deceased man was removed from the scene this afternoon and was taken to Dublin for a post mortem examination tomorrow morning.
Access to the car park for members of the public for vehicles that were left there will be open this evening.
The shopping centre remains closed.
An incident room has been established at Carlow Garda Station, with a senior investigating officer appointed to lead the investigation.
A family liaison officer is providing support to the deceased's family, gardaí said.
Meanwhile, Carlow County Council said it is supporting the HSE in the provision of psycho-social supports for people affected by the shooting incident.
HSE staff will be available to talk to anyone affected from 1pm to 5pm today at County Buildings on Athy Road in Carlow town, the council said.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he is "deeply shocked and saddened" by the shooting incident.
I am deeply shocked and saddened at the shooting incident in Carlow this evening.
— Micheál Martin (@MichealMartinTD) June 1, 2025
My thoughts are with the families affected and the local community in Carlow after what was a very serious and traumatic incident.
I urge anyone who has information to speak to the Gardaí.
In a post on X, he said: "My thoughts are with the families affected and the local community in Carlow after what was a very serious and traumatic incident.
"I urge anyone who has information to speak to the gardaí."
Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Simon Harris also expressed his concern saying he was thinking of the child who sustained injuries and her family following the incident.
"I am also thinking of all those who witnessed this situation and the awful shock and upset it must have caused them. I know their families and communities will rally to support them," Mr Harris said.
Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan expressed his solidarity with those impacted by the incident.
In a statement, Mr O'Callaghan said: "My thoughts are with everyone affected by the shooting and the community and families impacted including those working at the scene.
"This is 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."
'Town is in shock'
The mayor of Carlow, Fianna Fáil councillor Fintan Phelan, said there is a real sense of shock in the town after the shooting.
Speaking to told RTÉ's News at One, he said it was a "highly unusual event" to happen in Carlow.
"It is deeply distressing for those that were there at the Fairgreen at the time," he said.
"The community here in Carlow have rallied around everybody and that shows the best of Carlow. We're a fantastic community ... you could see that yesterday when many of the businesses opened their doors and allowed people to come in when there was that initial panic and locked the doors to make sure people were safe.
"There was a real sense of community amongst people to do what was necessary to keep our community safe. People responded quickly."
Cllr Phelan praised the first responders on the scene, saying they got there extremely quickly.
He said his thoughts were with those in the shopping centre yesterday, adding that it was a deeply traumatic experience for many people.
"It's really sad and distressing for people to see that this would happen in our town."
Cathaoirleach of Carlow County Council, Fergal Browne, praised the quick actions of emergency services and said it could have become a more serious incident if not for the first responders.
Local Fianna Fáil TD Jennifer Murnane O'Connor said she would never have thought something like this could happen and that everyone is "in disbelief".
One witness described hearing a "bang bang" noise and seeing people flee the scene.
"Then I saw the guards coming down, the Armed Response Unit and everything. It was madness," he told RTÉ News.
Another witness said she was worried for the people inside the shopping centre.
"The first thing you think is about your friends, people you know, is anyone in there," she said, adding that she texted her friends to make sure they were ok.
Gardaí have urged anyone who may have recorded footage of the incident not to share it on social media platforms or messaging apps, but instead to provide it to gardaí at Carlow Garda Station.
They also issued an appeal to anyone with information to contact Carlow Garda Station at 059-9136620 or the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111.
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