A man has died after a shooting at a shopping centre in County Carlow.
The PA news agency understands that it appears that the dead man’s wounds were self-inflicted.
A young girl was also injured in the incident but did not require hospital care and it is unclear how she was injured.
Gardai have identified the dead man as a white Irish male.
Ireland’s justice minister, Jim O’Callaghan, has described it as a “really shocking incident”.
One local councillor told how people ran terrified from the shopping centre in Carlow town as shots were fired.
The body of the man remains at the scene and will not be removed until the area has been declared safe.
The shopping centre was evacuated and emergency services remain at the scene, but gardai said there is no further concern for public safety.
A Garda spokesperson said they were alerted to reports of a firearm discharge at Fairgreen shopping centre shortly after 6.15pm.
The spokesperson said: “An Garda Síochaná are currently at the scene, with the shopping centre and car park cordoned off. The cordon will remain in place overnight. A white Irish adult male is deceased at the scene.
“The army explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) team has been requested to attend.”
Ireland’s deputy leader, Simon Harris, said he was “deeply concerned”, adding: “I understand a young child has been hurt and I join with people across our country in thinking of them and their family tonight.
“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. I am grateful to our emergency services for their work and response.”
O’Callaghan said: “This was a really shocking incident. 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. The area in Carlow is safe. “We must now allow An Garda Síochána to investigate this incident fully.”
A local Fine Gael councillor, Fergal Browne, said: “People were obviously terrified, a bank holiday Sunday, going into town to do their shopping. People ran from the centre crying and upset.
“There was a bunch of foreign students in the area, who could not believe they were caught up in the middle of all of it.
“It’s a busy spot. We launched a photographic exhibition there on Friday night in the shopping centre.”
Browne added: “There is lots of activity in the centre between people shopping and people working there, exhibitions. It’s very upsetting for everyone who was involved in it or who witnessed it. I was down there in the last hour and it seems to have calmed down a good bit now.”
Browne said he wanted to thank all the emergency services that had attended the scene.
