logo
Fermanagh shooting: third person dies, another remains in hospital

Fermanagh shooting: third person dies, another remains in hospital

Irish Times4 days ago
A third person has died following a shooting in Co Fermanagh.
The
Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI)
said they died in hospital this afternoon.
A fourth individual remains in hospital, where their condition is described as serious.
Police remain at the scene of the shooting at the Drummeer Road area of Maguiresbridge.
READ MORE
The PSNI said that all four individuals are from the same household.
The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service said it dispatched an emergency team after receiving a 999 call at 8.20am.
Three emergency ambulances, one rapid response paramedic, two ambulance officers and an ambulance doctor were sent to the scene. The charity air ambulance was also dispatched.
One of the injured was taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, by air ambulance and another to South West Acute Hospital in Enniskillen, about 13 km from Maguiresbridge, by ambulance.
Northern Ireland's First Minister Michelle O'Neill said she was 'absolutely heartbroken' by the news of the shooting in Maguiresbridge.
'My thoughts are with the victims, their loved ones, and the local community. I have no doubt that the people of Maguiresbridge will come together and support one another through this incredibly difficult time,' she said on social media website X.
Sinn Féin MP Pat Cullen has expressed her deep shock following the reports of the shootings.
The Fermanagh and South Tyrone MP said her thoughts are 'with the victims and their families at this tragic time'.
'Police are currently at the scene of an incident outside Maguiresbridge and there are a number of road closures while they carry out their investigations.
'I would urge people to not speculate on the details of this tragic and shocking incident,' she said.
Former DUP leader Arlene Foster, who is from nearby Brookeborough, said the news was 'just absolutely devastating' and the last thing you expect to hear from Maguiresbridge, which she described as 'a very sleepy little village in Fermanagh'.
'I just feel so sorry for everybody that has been impacted by what seems to be an absolutely horrific tragedy,' she told the News Letter.
'Obviously those involved will need a lot of support in the coming days and I am sure the community in Fermanagh will give that to them.'
The former First Minister who represented Fermanagh locally, at Stormont and at Westminster said she knew wider family members linked to the situation.
'I send my deepest condolences love and support to them at this time,' she said.
DUP MLA Deborah Erskine described a truly shocking incident which has 'stunned the entire community' as she expressed her condolences with those affected.
'The area of Maguiresbridge where this has happened is a rural, quiet area and everyone is deeply affected by what has happened this morning,' she said.
- Additional reporting PA
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Gang suspected of luxury car thefts in border areas are now targeting Dublin
Gang suspected of luxury car thefts in border areas are now targeting Dublin

Sunday World

time23 minutes ago

  • Sunday World

Gang suspected of luxury car thefts in border areas are now targeting Dublin

Criminals strip vehicles for parts at 'chop shop' in Northern Ireland One of the suspects went to Connolly Hospital in Dublin for treatment for his injuries An organised crime gang suspected of stealing luxury cars in border ­counties and stripping them for parts for the black market are believed to have expanded their operations to Dublin. Three criminals have been ­identified as being the leaders of the gang, who are operating a ­'chop shop' in Northern Ireland. The expensive cars are dismantled there, with the parts either exported or sold on the black market in the Republic. Gardaí have identified two ­career criminals from Co Louth, aged in their mid-30s, and a Dublin ­criminal from Blanchardstown, aged in his mid-40s, as key players in the operation. The Dublin criminal has convictions for car theft dating to the 1990s when he was a juvenile. The younger pair from Louth also have convictions for car theft offences. There are concerns that the gang have expanded their operations from the border counties into the capital. Gardaí were warned last year not to approach the volatile criminal unless armed The men were involved in a high-speed chase with gardaí on July 11 in the Blanchardstown area in which two cars crashed. The criminals fled the scene, but the Dubliner went to Connolly Hospital the following day for treatment for injuries. Their current base is the Newry area of Co Down, and they have been stopped and searched by the PSNI on a number of occasions. 'This gang is organised in nature in terms of the cars they steal and the money they are suspected of making from it,' a source said. One of the Louth criminals is considered by gardaí to be 'reckless and out of control'. Gardaí were warned last year not to approach the volatile criminal unless armed. At the time, he was involved in a feud with a criminal from Co Monaghan. He previously served a jail sentence for threatening to kill a number of people. Two gang members were arrested over an incident in which a pedestrian was killed Meanwhile, gardaí are also continuing to monitor the activities of the Lucky Dip gang, who have been stealing cars throughout Leinster. An 18-year-old criminal who is considered the leader of the Lucky Dip outfit is currently out on bail after he appealed against a seven-month sentence handed down by the district court earlier this year. Sources said gardaí have been monitoring a number of TikTok accounts linked to the Dublin teenager, in which he has been taunting gardaí with videos of Lucky Dip members driving stolen vehicles. One of these cars is a Volkswagen Golf believed to have been stolen in Rathfarnham, south Dublin, in March. The gang have been driving at high speed the wrong way along motorways and at roundabouts. Two gang members have been arrested over an incident last year in which a pedestrian was killed in north Dublin. There are major concerns that some gang members have ­'graduated' to be involved in serious organised crime in west Dublin. Gardaí nicknamed them the Lucky Dip gang after learning that they pick towns at random on an almost nightly basis using Google Maps. One of the suspects went to Connolly Hospital in Dublin for treatment for his injuries Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 27th

‘We are coming here with hearts broken': Prayer service to be held for Fermanagh shooting victims
‘We are coming here with hearts broken': Prayer service to be held for Fermanagh shooting victims

Irish Times

time3 hours ago

  • Irish Times

‘We are coming here with hearts broken': Prayer service to be held for Fermanagh shooting victims

A prayer service will be held in Co Clare for a mother and two children killed in a shooting incident in Co Fermanagh . Vanessa Whyte (45), a vet from Co Clare, her son James (14) and daughter Sara (13), were killed in a suspected triple murder and attempted suicide at a house in Maguiresbridge on Wednesday morning. Ms Whyte was originally from Barefield, a village near Ennis in Co Clare. A murder investigation has been launched, while an adult male remains in a serious condition in hospital. READ MORE A prayer service will take place at the Church of Immaculate Conception in Barefield on Sunday evening. A notice on the parish website describes it as a service to remember Vanessa, Sara and James. Barefield parish priest, Fr Tom Fitzpatrick, said the community wanted to gather together to remember the family. The prayer service has been organised to take place on Sunday evening to allow for Ms Whyte's brother, Ivor, to travel home from Australia . 'The prayer service was organised by the community, myself and the pastoral council. We planned it days ago,' Fr Fitzpatrick said. 'The purpose of the service is to gather as a community and be with the family and let them know we are thinking of them and we are here in shock and in pain. 'When something happens in a rural community, even to one person, it affects everybody. We are coming here with hearts broken. A lot of the community knew Vanessa and she was so well loved.' It is understood that the funeral of the mother and her two children will take place in Barefield later this week. On Saturday, detectives from the major investigation team, who are carrying out the murder investigation, said they are continuing with their inquiries and appealed for information involving the movements of a vehicle. Detective Chief Inspector Neil McGuinness said: 'Our investigation is ongoing and we are working tirelessly to determine the exact circumstances of this tragedy. 'I would continue to appeal generally for anyone with information to come forward, and more specifically, I would ask anyone who saw a silver Mercedes saloon car being driven in the Clones Road area of Newtownbutler, or between Maguiresbridge and Newtownbutler, on the evening of Tuesday July 22nd, to call detectives on 101, quoting reference 276 23/07/25. 'Anyone who was travelling in the area and who may have captured dashcam footage which could assist, please get in touch.' The man who remains in a serious condition in hospital was a member of the same household, the PSNI said. On Friday, hundreds of people attended a community vigil for the family in Maguiresbridge. – PA

Fermanagh murder victims were due to travel to mum's native Clare next week
Fermanagh murder victims were due to travel to mum's native Clare next week

Sunday World

time20 hours ago

  • Sunday World

Fermanagh murder victims were due to travel to mum's native Clare next week

Tragic trio were due to holiday with Vanessa's mum next weekend Vanessa Whyte with her daughter Sara and son James who died following a shooting in Co Fermanagh (PSNI/PA) A mum and two children murdered in their Fermanagh home were to spend the August holiday weekend with her family in her native Barefield, Co. Clare parish priest Fr Tom Fitzpatrick revealed. Instead, devastated Mary Whyte, the mother of murdered Vanessa Whyte and grandmother of slain James (14) and Sara (13) will be joined by family in arranging for the tragic trio's funerals in Co. Clare. Fr Fitzpatrick, who had been consoling and counselling the devastated Whyte family, also confirmed that Vanessa's brother, who lives in Australia, had flown into Dublin airport this morning to be with their devastated mum. Fr Kilpatrick confirmed the family are arranging for funerals to be held in Barefield but said currently the timeframe for holding the ceremonies is unknown. Vanessa Whyte with her daughter Sara and son James who died following a shooting in Co Fermanagh (PSNI/PA) News in 90 Seconds - July 26th 'We don't know how long it takes for the remains to be released in the North, it takes quite a long time in the UK but it will probably happen much quicker than that in the North,' he said. 'I was talking to a member of the family this morning and they hope to have some idea of how things will move on Monday – but the funeral mass will be held in Barefield Church. 'There will be a ceremony of some kind in Maguiresbridge before they come here and I'm not sure yet how the details of that will work out but certainly the community up there are anxious to have something too. 'The family would like all of this to happen as quickly as possible but it's hard to put a finger on when this might all happen. 'My guess is it could be at the end of the week but it could be earlier.' Ms Whyte, 45, a veterinarian, was killed alongside her son James Rutledge, 14, and daughter Sara Rutledge, 13, in a gun attack at their home in Maguiresbridge, Co. Fermanagh. They were found with gunshot wounds at their home in rural Drummeer Road at around 8pm after the PSNI received a 999 call from someone inside the house. The mum and one of the kids were pronounced dead at the scene, while the other child lost their fight for life in hospital a few hours later. A man was found with serious gunshot wounds in what the PSNI believe was an attempted murder-suicide. Fr. FitzPatrick said Vanessa's mum Mary had only come back from a personal pilgrimage in Knock that day when she was informed of the horrific news. 'The Whyte family are a very respected and much loved family in the local community,' he said. 'Her mother Mary is very involved in the church. She is a beautiful person, she's incredibly spiritual and despite the fact she is a very gentle person, she is incredibly strong. 'She spent all of Wednesday, the day the news broke, in Knock on her own personal pilgrimage and came home that evening to the news. 'And that was awful for her. 'Vanessa was meant to be down here with the children for the August Bank Holiday weekend but tragically that won't be now. 'She planned to come down with the children for the week to be with her mother. 'So there's a huge sense of sorrow and loss here. 'But she (Mary) is a very strong person and the family are rallying around. 'There's one boy who is living in Australia but he flew back and arrived in Dublin airport this morning and is on his way down now.' Fr. FitzPatrick said the community of Barefield is attempting to support the family in every way they can in the wake of the horrific murders. 'The only way I can describe it is there is a dark cloud hanging over the community of Barefield over the last number of days. 'In a community like Barefield, and it's a tightly knit community, what affects one family affects the whole community. 'The whole community are coming together and trying to make sense of what has occurred and trying to reach out to the family in the only way they know how. 'And, that's less with words and more with the love and the hugs that come with their presence and from their hearts.' Fr. FitzPatrick said the community has planned a prayer service in Barefield Church on Sunday evening and a big crowd is expected.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store