Latest news with #Fitzgerald
The Journal
8 hours ago
- The Journal
Post-mortem to be carried out later on body of Carlow gunman
A POST-MORTEM examination will be carried out later on the 22-year-old man who died in a shooting incident in Carlow on Sunday. The body of Evan Fitzgerald was removed from the scene of Fairgreen Shopping Centre in Carlow yesterday and taken to the mortuary in Dublin ahead of today's post-mortem by the State Pathologist. A technical examination of the car park scene has finished but the scene remains held and the Fairgreen Shopping Centre remains closed. Yesterday, gardaí began releasing cars from the Shopping Centre car park and access is only granted to people who left a vehicle there. The scene of the fatality outside the Tesco store was also declared safe yesterday after an examination by Irish army explosives officers. Gardaí had called the bomb disposal experts to the scene after observing a bottle containing an unknown substance on the body of the dead man. Advertisement Gardaí were alerted to the shooting incident in Carlow at around 6.15pm on Sunday, 1 June. Fitzgerald, originally from Portrushen Upper near Kiltegan, Co Wicklow, was killed by his own firearm and no shots were fired by gardaí. No one else was injured by any of the shots fired, though a young girl sustained a minor leg injury when she fell while running from the centre. Fitzgerald had been on bail for serious firearms offences and was before the courts last year when he was charged with offences associated with an assault rifle he bought on the dark web. 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. He was set to hear a date for his trial, having appeared before court again last month. At a previous hearing last year, where Fitzgerald was granted bail with strict conditions, the court was told he had a 'fascination' with firearms but that the interest was more of a hobby rather than a 'nefarious' one. 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
Extra.ie
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Extra.ie
‘Social media firms should face Oireachtas over spread of lies and fear' says TD
Social media companies should 'most definitely' be brought before the Oireachtas Media Committee to discuss how they deal with disinformation on foot of claims made online in the wake of the shooting in Carlow over the weekend, a TD has said. When the incident became public, some far-right actors pushed false information that the incident was carried out by a foreign national. Some social media users described the incident as a mass shooting with multiple victims wounded. However, the gardaí moved quickly to clarify that the shooter was Evan Fitzgerald, 22, of Portrushen, Kiltegan, Co. Wicklow, who was a white Irish male. The clarification of his ethnicity was made in a bid to stop disinformation from spreading about the identity of the shooter. Emergency services near the scene at Fairgreen Shopping Centre in Carlow. Pic: Niall Carson/PA Wire Gardaí confirmed Fitzgerald was alone when he walked through the shopping centre and discharged the firearm into the air a number of times. Fitzgerald ultimately died from a self-inflicted gunshot. Some web users claimed Ireland may have a civil war 'very soon' on the foot of the incident, with others talking about a 'cover-up' of the incident. Other accounts suggested the shooter was 'not white' and 'probably' an illegal immigrant. None of these allegations was true. Micheál Carrigy, a Fine Gael TD who sits on the Oireachtas Media Committee, said: 'They [social media firms] should be quicker in taking down this information that's on the platforms. Other platforms are being used to spread disinformation and spread disquiet and untruths.' The deputy said this is 'something that can't be done through mainstream media because you have to publish what is correct', adding: 'Their platforms are being used to spread fear in communities and false information. Senator Micheál Carrigy. Pic: Gareth Chaney/Collins Photos 'So they need to be quicker in taking down what has been identified as incorrect information and spreading hatred within communities.' He said he would 'most definitely' like to see companies such as X, Meta and TikTok back in front of an Oireachtas committee soon to discuss the matter. Mr Carrigy added: 'There's people out there using those platforms to promote their racist views. 'As I said, spreading something that's factually incorrect, I think they need to have stronger measures or stronger controls on where people are found to be using platforms or accounts [improperly]. They should be banned, or their accounts should be shut down and closed down and banned. They have to have stricter and tighter controls with regard to the accounts that are being hosted on their platforms.' No one was injured by the shots discharged on Sunday. However, one young girl suffered a 'minor leg injury' when she fell while running from the scene.. In a transparency report issued last year, social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, stated that it had suspended over four million accounts for a variety of breaches of its service and had removed more than ten million posts. However, since Elon Musk took over the platform, it has become much more robust in defending free speech rather than moderating its content.
Irish Examiner
9 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Man who fired shotgun in Carlow shopping centre had a known 'fascination for firearms'
A man with a known 'fascination for firearms' was on bail for gun charges when he fired shots in a Carlow shopping centre before fatally shooting himself. Gardaí had objected to bail for Evan Fitzgerald, aged 22, after he was caught last year with guns and ammunition which they said he admitted to having bought on the dark web. However, he was given bail on strict conditions and was due back in court on the charges this week. On Sunday, he walked through the Fairgreen Shopping Centre in Carlow firing a shotgun in the air. He then shot himself outside the shopping centre after being challenged by armed gardaí. It was a 'terrifying experience' for shoppers who fled the building when the gunman started shooting in the air, Assistant Garda Commissioner Paula Hilman said. The scene at Fairgreen Shopping Centre, Carlow on Sunday Photo: A girl sustained a minor leg injury when she fell while running from the centre. No one other than any of the shots fired injured the gunman, the assistant commissioner said. Mr Fitzgerald, who was from Portrushen, Kiltegan, at the border between Co Wicklow and Co Carlow, was arrested in March 2024 following an intelligence-led firearm trafficking operation. Gardaí seized a semi-automatic M1911 pistol, an automatic Koch G3 rifle, and ammunition after a car in which Mr Fitzgerald was travelling was stopped at Ponsonby Bridge near Straffan, Co Kildare. 'Mr Fitzgerald has a fascination with firearms,' Detective Garda Gavin Curran told the court. Mr Fitzgerald was granted bail in March 2024. Gardai blocking off roads leading to Fairgreen Shopping Centre, Carlow yesterday evening Photo: Sinn Féin TD Matt Carthy said reports that the suspect was on bail for firearms charges is 'deeply concerning'. It is unacceptable to have such serious crimes carried out by those on bail, he said. Figures released to Mr Carthy in recent weeks showed that, between 2022 and 2024, 64 crimes were committed by those on bail for possession of firearms — while 2,312 crimes in the period were carried out by individuals on bail for possession of offensive weapons. Mr Carthy called for a wider review of the enforcement and operation of bail laws. Following the shooting, bomb disposal experts were called from Collins Barracks in Cork to examine a possible explosive device after gardaí found a bottle containing an unknown substance on the body of the dead man. However, the area was later declared safe. Multiple reports of shots being fired in the shopping centre were made to gardaí at around 6.15pm on Sunday. 'Gardaí responded to the scene and met a large number of people running from the shopping centre,' Assistant Commissioner Hilman said. 'An unarmed uniform unit arriving at the scene observed the suspect exiting the shopping centre. 'The suspect discharged a firearm — a shotgun — into the air. Another plain clothes-armed garda unit responding drew their official firearms and identified themselves as armed gardaí. 'The suspect discharged the firearm again, self-inflicting a fatal wound. 'No member of An Garda Síochána discharged a weapon. This was meant to be a normal day out on a bank holiday weekend. This was a terrifying experience for every person that was present.' Forensic investigators at Fairgreen Shopping Centre, Carlow, where a man died following a shooting incident on Sunday evening. Picture: Niall Carson/PA Wire An autopsy will be carried out by the State pathologist in Dublin today. The suspect was described as 'white Irish' by gardaí after far-right and anti-immigrant sentiment was being stoked online, with false rumours circulating about the scale of the attack and the ethnicity of the shooter. The Hope and Courage Collective said the tragic incident was being used by prominent anti-migrant accounts to spread false claims and conspiracies. Gardaí have appealed for witnesses to come forward. Read More 41643889[#embed5]
Extra.ie
10 hours ago
- Extra.ie
Gardaí opposed bail for gunman at Carlow supermarket
A man who fired a shotgun in a crowded shopping centre in Co Carlow had 'a fascination with firearms' and was on bail facing charges of possessing automatic weapons he bought on the 'dark web'. It has also emerged that at a previous court hearing, gardaí opposed bail for Evan Fitzgerald, 22, who caused panic when he discharged the gun at the Fairgreen Shopping Centre in Carlow town on Sunday evening, before fatally turning the weapon on himself following a stand-off with armed gardaí. The incident, in which a nine-year-old girl suffered minor injuries as she tried to flee, has sparked deep concerns over our bail regime, and there were calls last night for a wider review of laws in this area. Emergency services close to the scene at Fairgreen Shopping Centre in Carlow. Pic: Niall Carson/PA Wire Fitzgerald was due in court later this week to face 13 charges relating to the alleged possession of guns, ammunition and explosive materials. Despite Garda objections, he was granted bail on a surety of €1,000 at a sitting of Naas District Court in March 2024, where he and two co-accused were charged with possession of a G3 Heckler and Koch machine gun, a Remington M1911 handgun and two types of ammunition at Ponsonby Bridge, Straffan, Co. Kildare. Detective Garda Gavin Curran of the National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau told the court: 'Mr Fitzgerald has a fascination with firearms. He is big time into firearms and ammunition.' A file image of Evan Fitzgerald. Pic: Colin Keegan/Collins Dublin The release of a suspect facing 'very serious firearms charges' has prompted fresh calls for a review of Ireland's bail laws. Garda sources have told that Fitzgerald, of Portrushen, Kiltegan, Co. Wicklow, had an obsession with firearms from an early age and was 'hellbent' on possessing rifles. 'Evan wanted automatic weapons. What we know is that he had a fascination with this type of gun,' a security source told 'It's not like he wanted a pistol or something of that nature. He wanted a machine gun, something capable of huge damage. He had this fascination as a young teenager, which developed over time.' At a press conference yesterday, Assistant Garda Commissioner Paula Hilman said no one was injured by the shots discharged, but a young girl suffered a minor leg injury after falling while running from the scene. Emergency services near the scene at Fairgreen Shopping Centre in Carlow. Pic: Niall Carson/PA Wire 'This was meant to be a normal day out on a bank holiday weekend,' she said. 'This was a terrifying experience for every person that was present in the Fairgreen Shopping Centre yesterday evening.' In March last year, Fitzgerald and two accomplices were stopped by officers investigating firearms trafficking with support from the Emergency Response Unit. It was alleged that the firearms and ammunition were purchased by Fitzgerald on the so-called 'dark web' – a hidden part of the internet frequently used for the sale of illicit goods such as drugs and guns – using an encrypted 'proton' email account. Assistant Garda Commissioner Paula Hillman. Pic: Sam Boal/Collins Photos Detective Garda Curran said that under questioning by gardaí, Fitzgerald made 'full and frank admissions related to the purchase of these firearms', for which he had paid €2,700. The firearms were handed over to gardaí in a face-to-face meeting. While gardaí believed the weapons were purchased as part of a 'hobby' and were to be used for shooting in the woods, they raised concerns that they could have fallen into the hands of serious criminals. Gardaí had objected to bail in court, but acceded under strict conditions, including that Fitzgerald not contact the other two accused, adhere to a curfew between midnight and 6 am and avoid illegal activity online. Sinn Féin spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Matt Carthy TD. Pic: Gareth Chaney/Collins Sinn Féin's justice spokesman, Matt Carthy, said that it was deeply concerning that the gunman was on bail for very serious firearms charges. Writing on today, he welcomes an upcoming review of bail for repeat offenders promised by Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan, but said yesterday that there needs to be a wider review of the enforcement and operation of the nation's bail laws. He highlighted figures on firearms offences by those on bail, which were revealed to him in May. saying: 'In March, I received a reply to a parliamentary question that revealed that 40,348 crimes committed in 2024 were committed by those on bail. 'This was a shocking number and I made the point then that bail laws would need to be examined…. A number of weeks ago, I received further details regarding the number of very serious crimes committed by those on bail, including sexual assaults, robberies, possession of offensive weapons and possession of firearms. 'If we are to deliver safer communities and reduce the level of crime, we cannot accept a situation where this level of crime, particularly very serious crimes, are being carried out by those on bail.' He added: 'The fact that the person who carried out the shooting at the Fairgreen Shopping Centre in Carlow was on bail, having been charged with offences associated with purchasing an assault rifle on the dark web, raises many questions. 'This weapon was seized along with a handgun and multiple types of ammunition, and he was arrested by specialist gardaí from the Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, who were assisted by armed officers from the Emergency Response Unit. This tells us just how serious a matter this was. 'We are extremely lucky that no one else was seriously injured or killed in this incident.' A spokeswoman for Minister O'Callaghan said yesterday: 'The minister will not comment specifically on yesterday's incident in Carlow beyond his statement already issued as it remains a live Garda investigation.' When asked about a wider review of bail laws, they pointed to the minister's 'recent announcement that Lorcan Staines SC is to assess current bail laws and make any recommendations he believes are appropriate, taking into account the requirements of constitutional justice.'
Irish Daily Mirror
12 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Carlow shooter was facing serious charges and 'terrified of going to prison'
The man who shot himself in front of shoppers in Carlow was facing serious criminal charges – and was terrified of going to jail, it has emerged. Sources have also told The Irish Mirror that Evan Fitzgerald, who took his own life after firing several shots inside the town's Fairgreen Centre on Sunday evening, was facing up to 14 years in jail over the charges – and was due up in court on them again on Wednesday. But we have learned he had told people he was afraid of going to prison over the 13 charges – relating to firearms and explosives charges. Sources say Fitzgerald, 22, took a legally-held shotgun that was registered to an associate on Sunday afternoon and then headed to the Carlow shopping centre – where he caused panic by firing several shots in the air. He then walked outside and, when challenged by armed gardai, turned the shotgun on himself. He died instantly in the horror shooting. We have learned that Mr Fitzgerald, of Portrushen Upper, Kiltegan, Rathvilly, Co Carlow, was due at Naas District Court in Co Kildare this week, where he was to be served with the book of evidence in his case – which meant he was to stand trial in front of a judge and jury later this year. He was charged under anti-firearms and explosives legislation and was facing up to 14 years behind bars if he was convicted. But the case against him cannot now proceed. Mr Fitzgerald was 22 and had an address at Portrushen Upper, Kiltegan, Rathvilly, Co Carlow, close to the border with Wicklow. It is about 27km from the Fairgreen Shopping Centre in Carlow Town, where he caused panic on Sunday evening. We have confirmed that Mr Fitzgerald was on bail on serious firearms and explosives charges when he went to Fairgreen and opened fire. Sources tell us gardai now believe he did not intend to target anyone else in the incident – which officers now think was a gruesome public suicide. "He did not shoot at anyone else and we believe he did not want to. The shots he fired were not aimed at anyone," a source told us. The steel worker – who a court previously heard had a fascination with guns – was charged over an incident at Straffan in Co Kildare last year. Detectives from the Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau charged Mr Fitzgerald over the incident in which officers seized a German-made Heckler and Koch G3 assault rifle and an America Colt M1911 semi-automatic pistol. Gardai believe he bought the items on the dark web. A court heard the guns were seized following an intelligence-led operation into alleged firearms trafficking. Gardaí, including from DOCB and The Emergency Response Unit, conducted a controlled stop on a vehicle and seized the firearms and ammunition, the court heard. Mr Fitzgerald, who was on bail, last appeared in court on May 7 and was remanded to this coming Wednesday. He was facing 13 charges. Two were for allegedly possessing the firearms at Ponsonby Bridge, Straffan Road, Co. Kildare on March 2 last year. He also faced two separate charges of possessing 22 rounds of .45 ACP calibre ammunition and 20 rounds of .308 Winchester ammunition on the same date and location. Mr Fitzgerald was also facing a further nine charges, all also allegedly committed on March 2 last year – but this time it is alleged they were committed at Portrushen Upper, Kiltegan, Rathvilly, Co Carlow. Mr Fitzgerald was alleged to have possessed: He had not yet entered any plea in the case and no evidence was heard at the May 7 appearance. He is now understood to have taken a legally-held shotgun registered to an associate and used it to fire several shots in the air inside Fairgreen Shopping Centre at around 6.15pm on Sunday night. Garda Assistant Commissioner Paula Hilman, who is in charge of policing in the eastern region that includes Carlow, visited the scene yesterday – and revealed further details of the horror incident. She said unarmed gardai responded to multiple reports of shooting – and when they got there were met by scores of people trying to escape. She said: "An unarmed uniform unit arriving at the scene observed the suspect exiting the shopping centre. The suspect discharged a firearm, a shotgun, into the air. "Another plainclothes armed Garda unit responding drew their official firearms and identified themselves as armed gardaí. "The suspect discharged the firearm again, self-inflicting a fatal wound." And she revealed: "No member of An Garda Síochána discharged a weapon. "An Garda Síochána now understands that the lone male had walked through the shopping centre and had discharged the firearm, into the air, on a number of occasions. "No person was injured by the shots discharged." She added that the nine-year-old girl injured in the incident suffered a slight leg wound as she escaped the scene with her parents. The Assistant Commissioner added: "This was meant to be a normal day out on a Bank Holiday weekend. This was a terrifying experience for every person that was present in the Fairgreen Shopping Centre yesterday evening. "An Garda Síochána implemented a cordon around the Fairgreen Shopping Centre and carpark. "A bottle containing an unknown substance was observed by Gardaí on the deceased. An Garda Síochána requested the assistance of the Irish Defence Forces EOD team to examine the unknown device. "An EOD team from Collins Barracks, Cork attended the scene late last night. Following examination, the EOD team declared the scene safe." The Defence Forces told us EOD officers were called to two locations – the shopping centre and a private residence. No explosives were found at either site. A spokesman said: "Yesterday, two Defence Forces Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) teams were deployed at the request for assistance from An Garda Síochána in relation to suspected devices at both Fairgreen Shopping Centre and a private residence. Following an assessment by the EOD Teams, no viable device was found at Fairgreen Shopping Centre and at the private residence, 2 rounds of ammunition were found, along with a barrel containing a mix of alcohol and energetic material. "The EOD Teams handed the scenes over to the AGS and returned to barracks, concluding the operation. The Fairgreen EOD Team deployed at 2040hrs and returned at 0420hrs and the private residence EOD Team deployed at 2126hrs and returned at 0616hrs." The area around Fairgreen was sealed off all day yesterday but in the late afternoon, gardai began allowing motorists entry to pick up their vehicles. Mr Fitzgerald's body was yesterday afternoon removed to the mortuary in Dublin where a post-mortem will take place today. Gardai have repeated their calls for witnesses to come forward. The force said: "Gardaí are continuing to appeal for witnesses to this incident. Anyone present at Fairgreen Shopping Centre between approximately 6:00pm and 6:30pm yesterday evening is asked to contact the incident room at Carlow Garda Station. Carlow. Anyone with information is asked to contact Carlow Garda Station at 059 9136620 or the Garda Confidential Line at 1800-666-111." Gardai have also referred the incident to Fiosru, the new name for the independent policing watchdog formerly known as GSOC, or the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission. Meanwhile, Sinn Féin Justice spokesperson Matt Carthy last night said he was deeply concerned that Fitzgerald was on bail for serious firearms offences when he went to the shopping centre armed with a shotgun. He said: "Our laws must ensure that the most dangerous criminals are behind bars. "The fact that the person who carried out the shooting at the Fairgreen Shopping Centre in Carlow was on bail having been charged with offences associated with purchasing an assault rifle on the dark web raises many questions. "This weapon was seized along with a handgun and multiple types of ammunition and he was arrested by specialist gardaí from the Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau who were assisted by armed officers from the Emergency Response Unit. This tells us just how serious a matter this was. "We are extremely lucky that no one else was seriously injured or killed in this incident which has shocked the community in Carlow."
