Man who fired shots in Carlow shopping centre before he died was on bail for firearm offences
The man in his early 20s was before the courts last year when he was charged with offences associated with an assault rifle he bought on the dark web.
The Heckler and Koch G3 rifle was seized along with a Remington M1911 handgun and multiple types of ammunition.
He had since been charged with possession of other guns and with ammunition possession.
He was arrested last year in Co Kildare by specialist gardaí from the Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, who were assisted by armed officers from the Emergency Response Unit.
Advertisement
He was set to hear a date for his trial, having appeared before court again last month.
Sources have said that he went to the shopping centre armed on Sunday evening at around 6.15pm and fired a number of shots.
It is believed that he was killed by his own firearm. The firearm found in Carlow yesterday is believed by gardaí to have been legally held.
An Irish Defence Forces soldier (face blurred) at the scene in Carlow with a bomb disposal robot.
Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
Gardaí from the Emergency Response Unit were tasked with raiding his house last night and were assisted by Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) soldiers also.
At the scene in Carlow, an EOD team assisted gardaí to search the man's remains because he had a bottle shaped object strapped to his body. That examination was ongoing last night.
A garda spokesman confirmed a young girl received minor injuries in the incident but it is not known how she was injured.
Related Reads
Man dead after shooting incident at Carlow shopping centre
'An Garda Síochána are currently at the scene, with the shopping centre and car park cordoned off. The cordon will remain in place overnight,' An Garda Síochána said last night.
'A white Irish adult male is deceased at the scene.
'The Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team has been requested to attend.
'A female juvenile received treatment from paramedics following the incident but did not require hospital care. It's undetermined at this time as to how those injuries were sustained.'
Gardaí have requested that anyone who may have recorded footage of the incident does not to share it on social media platforms or messaging apps, but instead provides it to Gardaí at Carlow Garda Station.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Carlow Garda Station at 059-9136620 or the Garda Confidential Line at 1800 666 111.
Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article.
Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.
Learn More
Support The Journal
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Journal
3 hours ago
- The Journal
Gerry Adams donates €100k BBC payout to causes including Gaza, the GAA and republican prisoners
GERRY ADAMS HAS said he has made donations to 'good causes' after the BBC paid the former Sinn Fein president €100,000 in defamation damages. The broadcaster lost a defamation case earlier this year after Adams took it to court over a 2016 episode of its Spotlight programme and an accompanying online story. They contained an allegation that Adams sanctioned the killing of former Sinn Féin official Denis Donaldson. Adams denied any involvement. In May, a jury at the High Court in Dublin found in his favour and awarded him €100,000 after determining that was the meaning of words included in the programme and article. Advertisement Johnsons Solicitors, which represented Adams in his action, announced today that the BBC has discharged the order of the court in relation to the compensation to their client. A BBC spokesperson said: 'We can confirm the BBC has now paid Gerry Adams 100,000 euros in damages as required by the court.' Adams said he intended to donate any damages awarded to good causes. The law firm said donations have been made to 'Unicef for the children of Gaza', local GAA organisations, a support group for republican prisoners and their families called An Cumman Cabhrach, to the Irish language sector, to the 'homeless and Belfast based-youth, mental health and suicide prevention projects' and others. The BBC, which was found by the jury not to have acted in good faith nor in a fair and reasonable way, was also ordered to pay the former Sinn Féin leader's legal costs, potentially in the order of millions. However, it is understood the final amount of costs have yet to be determined.
The Irish Sun
4 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Driver pleads GUILTY to killing woman, 22, in 140mph horror crash on Christmas Day as he fled police in his Mercedes
Judge tells driver that a prison sentence will be "inevitable" DEATH SMASH Driver pleads GUILTY to killing woman, 22, in 140mph horror crash on Christmas Day as he fled police in his Mercedes A DRIVER has pleaded guilty to the killing of a 22-year-old woman on Christmas Day in a 140mph horror crash. Evan Forde, 32, was driving his Mercedes in Brent Cross, north London, when he crashed into another vehicle at high speed. 2 Evan Forde, 32, pleaded guilty to killing a 22-year-old woman at the Old Bailey today Credit: Alamy 2 Maria Carolina Do Nascimento died at the scene in 2022 Credit: PA Advertisement He then proceeded to flee from the police on foot in the early hours of the morning on December 25, 2022. Brazilian Maria Carolina Do Nascimento was a passenger in the BMW that Forde crashed into. The young woman tragically passed away at the scene. The accident occurred on a 40mph stretch of road in Hendon Way at around 3.45am. Advertisement Despite the speed limit, Forde had been driving at speeds of more than 140mph. This resulted in Nascimento's tragic death, despite the London Ambulance Service rushing to the scene and desperately trying to save the girl. Shortly before the fatal crash, police officers on patrol in a marked vehicle had indicated for his car to stop. However, the vehicle drove off from police and there was no pursuit, according to Scotland Yard. Advertisement Moments later, cops were informed that the same car had been involved in a collision. The occupants of the Mercedes did not stop for the police as they proceeded to flee the scene on foot. Moment unsuspecting painter is sent flying through air in terrifying crash after car comes out of nowhere On Tuesday, Forde appeared at the Old Bailey where he pleaded guilty to causing Ms Nascimento's death by dangerous driving. Members of the victim's family wept in court after he admitted the offence. Defence barrister Tasmin Malcolm said Forde had "always accepted" he was driving the Mercedes. Advertisement She said: 'Undoubtedly the speed Mr Forde was driving will be an aggravating feature to the court. 'It is important we are satisfied of the accuracy of the material relied on by the Crown.' Prosecutor Frederick Hookway observed that small variations of the speeds involved in the case were unlikely to have an impact given the defendant had reached 'top speeds of over 140mph'. Judge Anthony Leonard KC adjourned sentencing until October 22 and granted Forde continued conditional bail. He told him: "You have pleaded guilty to a very serious charge. Advertisement "There was perhaps no option other than to do so given the state of the evidence. "However, the fact you pleaded at this stage will be taken into account at sentencing. "You must understand the most likely result - if not the inevitable result - will be you sent to prison." Previously the Metropolitan Police said it had made a referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct as is routine in such circumstances.
The Journal
5 hours ago
- The Journal
Why has Sally Rooney been warned over supporting Palestine Action - and why did the UK ban it?
AUTHOR SALLY ROONEY could face prosecution in the UK if she delivers on promises to support Palestine Action, a group that the British government has proscribed as a terrorist organisation. Palestine Action is a direct action group that was founded in 2020. It has been protesting the UK's export of arms to Israel, as well as Israel's war on Gaza and treatment of Palestinians, through actions like demonstrations, building occupations and vandalism of properties it believes to have links to arms sales to Israel. Hundreds of people have been arrested in the UK since last month for showing their support for Palestine Action since it was designated as a terrorist association. The move by the government and the plethora of arrests that followed have sparked debate within the UK and internationally about the differences between a social movement versus a terrorist organisation, and about freedoms of expression and assembly. Rooney, the author of novels including Normal People and Intermezzo hailing from Co Mayo, has indicated that she intends to use proceeds from her work to support Palestine Action, but has been warned she could face consequences. What did Rooney say, how has the UK government responded, and why did it ban Palestine Action in the first place? What did Sally Rooney say about Palestine Action? Writing in the Irish Times at the weekend, Rooney said that she supports Palestine Action and its protesting of Israel's violence against Palestine, and that she would use proceeds from her work to support the group. 'If this makes me a 'supporter of terror' under UK law, so be it,' Rooney said. 'My books, at least for now, are still published in Britain, and are widely available in bookshops and even supermarkets. In recent years the UK's state broadcaster has also televised two fine adaptations of my novels, and therefore regularly pays me residual fees,' she wrote. 'I want to be clear that I intend to use these proceeds of my work, as well as my public platform generally, to go on supporting Palestine Action and direct action against genocide in whatever way I can. 'If the British state considers this 'terrorism', then perhaps it should investigate the shady organisations that continue to promote my work and fund my activities, such as WH Smith and the BBC.' She also criticised the Irish government for not standing with Irish activists arrested for supporting Palestine Action in the UK. Rooney has been an outspoken critic of Israel's war on Gaza and a supporter of freedom for Palestine. Advertisement Nearly two years since October 2023, Israel has around 62,000 people in Gaza, displaced hundreds of thousands of people, and flattened countless homes and buildings. With Israel strictly limiting the amount of aid allowed in to Gaza, many people are now dying of starvation, including young children. How has the UK government responded to Rooney? A spokesperson for UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer was asked in Westminster about Rooney's comments. They would not comment on her remarks specifically but set out the position that there 'is a difference between showing support for a proscribed organisation, which is an offence under the Terrorism Act, and legitimate protest in support of a cause'. Asked what Downing Street's position is in relation to anyone considering making donations to Palestine Action, the spokesperson said: 'Support for a proscribed organisation is an offence under the Terrorism Act and obviously the police will, as they have set out, they will obviously implement the law within the law as you'd expect.' Why has the UK banned Palestine Action? Among countries in Europe, the UK has been one of Israel's staunchest allies, including through being an exporter of arms to Israel, though it has also recognised the scale of devastation Israel has created in Gaza. In June, British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said she was proscribing Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation under the UK's Terrorism Act. It followed members of the group allegedly breaking into a military airfield and vandalising Royal Air Force (RAF) aircrafts. Announcing the decision to proscribe it as a terrorist organisation, Cooper said that Palestine Action's activity has 'increased in frequency and severity since the start of 2024 and its methods have become more aggressive, with its members demonstrating a willingness to use violence'. The UK's Terrorism Act makes it an offence for a person to belong to a proscribed organisation, to show or invite support for such an organisation, to express an opinion or belief that is supportive of it, or to arrange or manage a meeting that involves supporting the organisation, furthering its activities, or hearing from a member belonging to it. A person found guilty of an offence under the relevant legislation can face imprisonment or a fine, or both. The UK's decision has received criticism internationally. UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk said that by international standards, understandings of terrorist acts should be 'confined to criminal acts intended to cause death or serious injury or to the taking of hostages, for purpose of intimidating a population or to compel a government to take a certain action or not'. 'It misuses the gravity and impact of terrorism to expand it beyond those clear boundaries to encompass further conduct that is already criminal under the law,' Türk said. Additional reporting by Press Association Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
