A man has been killed and a young girl injured following a shooting in Carlow Town.
The incident happened at the Fairgreen Shopping Centre at around quarter past 6 yesterday evening.
Terrified shoppers fled after a gunman started shooting in a busy retail centre.
The man at the centre of the incident appears to have died from self-inflicted wounds. A nine year-old girl child suffered a non-life threatening leg injury, but Gardaí said it's unclear how the young girl was injured.
An air ambulance attended the scene, but no one was taken to hospital following the incident. A suspicious device was also found on the man, meaning the Army bomb squad needed to be called.
Armed gardaí have secured the scene and the situation is no longer active.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he was shocked and saddened at what was a very serious and traumatic incident. He urged anyone with information to speak to gardaí.
Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Simon Harris said he was “deeply concerned”. He said he was “thinking of all those who witnessed this situation and the awful shock and upset it must have caused them” and of the child injured and her family.
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.
