A man who opened fire in a busy Carlow shopping centre before fatally wounding himself was due to appear in court on Wednesday to face 13 firearms and explosives charges after being arrested last year.
Gardaí believe Evan Fitzgerald (22) of Portrushen, Kiltegan, Carlow, who died at Fairgreen Shopping Centre in Carlow town on Sunday evening, was very fearful of going to prison.
Though he was described by sources as posing a danger, due to his obsession with guns, he was also regarded as vulnerable.
Assistant Commissioner Paula Hilman said what “was meant to be a normal day out on a bank holiday weekend” had become a “terrifying experience for every person that was present” at the shopping centre.
Mr Fitzgerald walked around the shopping centre discharging shots before fatally wounding himself. However, he fired into the air and did not attempt to shoot at anyone else, gardaí said.
As shoppers fled from the centre, at about 6.15pm, gardaí received 999 calls alerting them to the fact shots were being fired.
Uniformed gardaí were first to arrive and saw people fleeing the building before Mr Fitzgerald exited. They were followed quickly by armed detectives, who identified themselves to the gunman and drew their weapons.
However, a further shot was then discharged from Mr Fitzgerald’s shotgun, fatally wounding him. Garda Headquarters confirmed no shots were discharged by any of the gardaí present.
Mr Fitzgerald was arrested in Co Kildare last year as part of an investigation by the Garda Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau into the purchase of guns on the dark net. He made full admissions and had been on bail awaiting trial.
The operation last year resulting in the seizure of the two guns – a G3 Heckler & Koch machine gun and a Remington M1911 handgun – also involved the armed Emergency Response Unit.
Gardaí believed Mr Fitzgerald and, allegedly, a number of associates had sourced the guns for recreational purposes, including shooting targets in the woods, rather than being involved in organised crime.
