Gardaí investigate if Carlow shooter's plan had been to take his own life

Two Army explosive ordnance disposal teams were dispatched from Cork to Carlow due to fears that Evan Fitzgerald intended to cause an explosion — but garda sources now say they believe he did not intend to harm anyone else. Picture: Niall Carson/PA 

Gardaí are investigating indications that the suspicious bottle of liquid attached to Evan Fitzgerald’s upper body was going to be used by the young man to set himself on fire — and was not a potential explosive or chemical device that he intended to harm anyone with, the Irish Examiner understands.

It is thought that the 22-year-old might have become frustrated after failing to set fire to the substance — a flammable liquid — in the container. 

It is believed he had made accelerant at home with the purpose of being able to ignite the liquid quickly and for it to burn intensely.

This frustration might have prompted him to start firing his shotgun into the air at Fairgreen Shopping Centre in Carlow, before discharging a self-inflicted fatal shot outside.

Gardaí also examined USB stick 

Gardaí have also examined a USB stick found stuck outside the bedroom window of a young man — who, along with Mr Fitzgerald and another man, stood accused of possessing high-powered firearms following an elite garda operation in May 2024.

The USB stick, duct-taped in a plastic bag, had the letter ‘E’ written above it and had been stuck to the window on Sunday morning, before the shooting.

It is thought that the USB stick contained comments outlining Mr Fitzgerald’s thoughts on the world — though it is not yet clear what he said.

'No indication of political extremism' 

The indication from various security sources during the week has been there was no sign, to date, of any political extremism or radicalisation influencing Mr Fitzgerald and that gardaí believe his plan was to take his own life on Sunday and not to harm anyone else.

Sources said it could be that his message might be more personal or general in nature, and nothing to do with political extremism.

Gardaí have been piecing together the last hours of 22-year-old Evan Fitzgerald since Sunday when he fired a shotgun inside Fairgreen Shopping Centre in Carlow before turning the gun on himself.

Gardaí believe he planned to take his own life  

Gardaí suspect that Mr Fitzgerald had planned to take his own life on Sunday and that, as part of this, he stole a shotgun from someone's house. He either stole cartridges as well or had his own.

Officers also believe that, before setting off from his parents’ home in Kiltegan, Co Wicklow, he had decided to go to the shopping centre in Carlow town.

He parked his van at the centre and attached the container around his neck, put on some type of gas mask, and carried the shotgun.

Shots may have been fired in frustration 

The suspicion is that he planned to ignite the liquid when at or inside the shopping centre, where he would have an audience.

He appears to have had difficulty setting fire to the substance. He stormed around the shopping centre, walking up and down flights, and fired shots into the air — it is thought out of frustration.

Various sources believe he did not intend to harm anyone — and eyewitness accounts don’t seem to report him threatening people.

Witnesses traumatised by the shooting

However, gardaí have stressed that people, including children, were terrified by the shooting and the man’s behaviour and fled the scene screaming and that many could be left traumatised.

When local uniformed gardaí arrived outside the centre shortly after 6.15pm they were met by the large crowd leaving and also saw a man walk out armed with a shotgun.

Mr Fitzgerald fired one shot into the air outside. Almost immediately after armed gardaí arrived and announced themselves to him, he turned the weapon on himself.