Case No. 1429Possession of firearms (shooting incident and suicide) · Co. Carlow · 1 Jun 2025
Carlow gunman Evan Fitzgerald found to have had additional weapons
Evan Fitzgerald, a 22-year-old man from Kiltegan, Co Wicklow, fired shots into the air at Fairgreen Shopping Centre in Carlow at about 6.15pm on 1 June 2025 before shooting himself dead with a pump action shotgun stolen in a burglary from a neighbour. He was on bail awaiting trial on 13 firearms and explosives charges after undercover gardaí supplied him with decommissioned weapons in a controlled delivery following an Interpol tip-off about darknet gun purchases. The firearms case against him was withdrawn after his death, while co-accused Daniel Quinn Burke entered a guilty plea and Shane Kinsella has yet to enter a plea. Fiosrú, the Garda ombudsman, concluded its investigation in less than three weeks with no further action, and Commissioner Drew Harris told the Oireachtas the controlled delivery was fully warranted and proportional.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrestednot reported
- Charged10 Jun
- In court
- Verdict
- Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- Evan Fitzgerald, 22, fired shots into the air at Fairgreen Shopping Centre in Carlow before shooting himself dead with a pump action shotgun stolen in a burglary from a neighbour.
- Where
- The incident took place at Fairgreen Shopping Centre in Carlow; Fitzgerald was from Portrushen, Kiltegan, Co Wicklow.
- When
- The shooting occurred at about 6.15pm on Sunday, 1 June 2025.
- Weapon
- The gun Fitzgerald used was a pump action shotgun stolen in a burglary from a neighbour, while the firearms he was charged with possessing were a decommissioned HKG3 military assault rifle and a pistol supplied by undercover gardaí.
- Investigation
- The Garda investigation began after an Interpol tip-off that an unknown person in the Republic was trying to buy guns on the darknet, and undercover gardaí from the Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau posed as a seller and supplied decommissioned firearms in a controlled delivery for €2,700.
- Fiosrú, the Garda ombudsman, concluded its investigation in less than three weeks and stated it had no further action to take.
- Charges
- Fitzgerald was charged with 13 firearms and explosives offences (four from the sting operation and nine from a property search that found ammunition and powders for explosive devices), and co-accused Daniel Quinn Burke and Shane Kinsella were also charged under the Offences Against the State Act.
- In court
- The firearms case against Fitzgerald was withdrawn following his death; Daniel Quinn Burke entered a guilty plea and Shane Kinsella has yet to enter a plea.
- Commissioner Drew Harris confirmed to the Oireachtas Justice Committee on 10 June that the firearms were part of a controlled garda delivery and later told the Public Accounts Committee the operation was fully warranted and proportional.
- Other details
- The case was raised in the Dáil and Seanad by TD Alan Kelly and Senator Michael McDowell, who called it a case of entrapment.
- A witness stated Fitzgerald interacted with another young man before opening fire and told her this is going to be really loud; all shots were fired into the air and gardaí do not believe he intended to harm anyone.
- Gardaí found an additional shotgun and a replica firearm linked to Fitzgerald during searches following the incident, but investigators were unable to determine the source of the additional weapons.
- The court was informed there was no suspected connection with organised crime or terrorism.
94 statements extracted from the articles
- whatUndercover gardaí supplied guns and ammunition to Evan Fitzgerald (irishtimes.com)
- whatFitzgerald is 22 years old (irishtimes.com)
- whatWhile awaiting trial he stole another weapon from a neighbour (irishtimes.com)
- whatHe turned the gun on himself (irishtimes.com)
- whatFitzgerald was a former steelyard worker (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe weapons delivered in the controlled delivery were a machine gun and a pistol with ammunition. (irishtimes.com)
- whatA search of a property linked to Fitzgerald yielded ammunition and powders that can be used to make explosive devices. (irishtimes.com)
- whatFitzgerald took his own life with a stolen gun after discharging it repeatedly in a Carlow shopping centre (irishtimes.com)
- whatFitzgerald interacted with another young man before opening fire, according to a witness statement taken by gardaí. (irishtimes.com)
- whatAll shots were fired into the air and gardaí do not believe he intended to harm anyone. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe witness was upstairs nursing her newborn baby when she spotted Fitzgerald and another young man near amusement machines. (irishtimes.com)
- whatHe had an object in his hand which she thought may have been a paintball gun. (irishtimes.com)
- whatFitzgerald did not seem agitated and upset at the time of the interaction. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe woman's partner noticed Fitzgerald was holding a shotgun and told his partner they needed to hide. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe couple and their baby hid in a conference room where they heard six or seven shots. (irishtimes.com)
- whatA police officer ushered the mother out and told her to go home. (irishtimes.com)
- whatEvan Fitzgerald, 22, shot himself dead at Fairgreen Shopping Centre in Carlow on 1 June (irishmirror.ie)
- whatFitzgerald fired shots into the air in a Carlow shopping centre before taking his own life. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe shotgun had been stolen in a burglary from a neighbour. (irishtimes.com)
- whatFitzgerald was a former steelyard worker from Portrushen, Kiltegan, Co Wicklow. (irishtimes.com)
- whatHe had allegedly attempted to buy the weapons on the dark web. (irishtimes.com)
- whereFitzgerald is from Kiltegan, Co Wicklow (irishtimes.com)
- whereHe fired shots in a Carlow shopping centre (irishtimes.com)
- whereFitzgerald was from Portrushen, Kiltegan, Co Wicklow. (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe incident took place at Fairgreen Shopping Centre in Carlow. (irishtimes.com)
- whenFitzgerald fired shots into the air at about 6.15pm on Sunday, 1 June. (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe shooting incident occurred on 1 June. (irishtimes.com)
- weaponThe gun Fitzgerald used to shoot himself was a stolen shotgun legally held by another person, unrelated to the undercover operation. (irishtimes.com)
- weaponThe guns used in the operation were two decommissioned firearms from Garda stores (irishtimes.com)
- weaponThe firearm Fitzgerald used in Carlow was stolen during a burglary and was not from garda stock (irishmirror.ie)
- weaponThe HKG3 military assault rifle was stolen by the Provisional IRA from Norwegian reserves in 1984 and recovered by gardaí over 20 years ago (irishmirror.ie)
- weaponFitzgerald used a pump action shotgun. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe commissioner referred the issue to Fiosrú, the Garda ombudsman (irishtimes.com)
- investigationFiosrú concluded its investigation in less than three weeks (irishtimes.com)
- investigationFiosrú stated it has no further action it wishes to take (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe Garda investigation started after an international law enforcement agency provided information to the force. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe intelligence appeared to have come through Interpol and suggested an unknown person in the Republic was on the darknet trying to buy guns. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe Garda Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau established contact with the suspect on the darknet, posing as a criminal with guns for sale. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe weapons were supplied to him in a Garda operation (irishtimes.com)
- investigationGardaí met at least one of the three charged and arranged delivery of the firearms and ammunition (irishtimes.com)
- investigationA controlled delivery took place using weapons already owned or seized by Gardaí (irishtimes.com)
- investigationGardaí intercepted a car in which the three young men were travelling and arrested them (irishtimes.com)
- investigationFiosrú reportedly indicated no concerns in relation to the events (irishtimes.com)
- investigationUndercover gardaí sold him the guns, which they had decommissioned, after being tipped off he was attempting to source weapons on the internet. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationCCTV shows Fitzgerald entering the shopping centre alone and nothing indicates he was acting with others. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationGardaí later took statements from both witnesses. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationCommissioner Harris confirmed to the Oireachtas Justice Committee on 10 June that the firearms were part of a controlled garda delivery (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationInterpol or another international agency alerted the Garda to the inquiry (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationGardaí intercepted the car, smashed the windows, dragged out the occupants and made an arrest (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationUndercover gardaí sold him the decommissioned guns after being tipped off he was trying to source weapons online. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationArmed officers forcibly stopped his car and arrested him. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationGardaí found another shotgun and a replica firearm during searches following the incident. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationInvestigators were unable to determine the source of the additional weapons. (irishtimes.com)
- chargeFitzgerald was charged with possession of the firearms (irishtimes.com)
- chargeHe was charged in March 2025 with firearms and explosives offences (irishtimes.com)
- chargeHe was due in court to face 13 firearms and explosives charges (irishtimes.com)
- chargeFitzgerald was charged with four offences following the sting operation early last year. (irishtimes.com)
- chargeThe property search discovery resulted in Fitzgerald being charged with nine further offences. (irishtimes.com)
- chargeFitzgerald was awaiting trial for possession of illegal weapons (irishtimes.com)
- chargeThe three were arrested under the Offences Against the State Act (irishtimes.com)
- chargeAt the time he was facing charges relating to possession of a military rifle and handgun he had allegedly attempted to buy on the dark web. (irishtimes.com)
- chargeFitzgerald was facing charges for possession of a military grade assault rifle, a handgun and ammunition. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe commissioner said he would not speak to the provenance of the firearms as the matter is still before the courts (irishtimes.com)
- courtFitzgerald was on bail at the time of his death (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe case was raised in both the Dáil and Seanad (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe court was informed there was no suspected connection with organised crime or terrorism (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe court was told gardaí were still investigating who had sold the firearms (irishtimes.com)
- courtHe was due to face court on ammunition and explosives charges (irishmirror.ie)
- courtTwo individuals are still being dealt with in front of the courts (irishmirror.ie)
- courtThe firearms case against Fitzgerald was withdrawn following his death. (irishtimes.com)
- courtDaniel Quinn Burke entered a guilty plea to the charges. (irishtimes.com)
- courtShane Kinsella has yet to enter a plea. (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe commissioner described controlled delivery as a very sensitive police methodology (irishtimes.com)
- otherFitzgerald was facing 13 charges and was at liberty on bail when he shot himself at Fairgreen Shopping Centre in Carlow. (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe guns used by undercover gardaí in the 2024 sting were taken from Garda stores, had been decommissioned, and the ammunition was non-functioning. (irishtimes.com)
- otherWhen arrested in early 2024, Fitzgerald made admissions. (irishtimes.com)
- otherIn controlled deliveries, any material used is made safe by the law enforcement agency before being used, and firearms are deactivated. (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe guns were not used in the fatal incident but were those for which he faced trial (irishtimes.com)
- otherAll three admitted possession of the firearms in court (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe three young men were childhood friends (irishtimes.com)
- otherIn controlled deliveries, firearms are deactivated before use (irishtimes.com)
- otherFitzgerald was a steelyard worker from Portrushen, Kiltegan, Co Wicklow. (irishtimes.com)
- otherCommissioner Harris said the controlled delivery was fully warranted and proportional (irishmirror.ie)
- otherMichael McDowell stated under privilege that this was a case of entrapment (irishmirror.ie)
- otherFitzgerald sought firearms on the dark web via protonmail (irishmirror.ie)
- otherGardaí persuaded Fitzgerald to take an automatic rifle and a semi-automatic pistol for €2,700 (irishmirror.ie)
- otherFitzgerald came with two childhood friends and they took delivery in the car of one of his friends (irishmirror.ie)
- otherAlan Kelly called the case one of the most disturbing things he had ever dealt with (irishmirror.ie)
- other640 gardaí are expected to attest from the Garda College in Templemore in 2025, bringing total strength to 14,500 (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe Garda referred the comments to Fiosrú, the Garda Ombudsman. (irishtimes.com)
- otherFitzgerald was a vulnerable person with mental issues and had no links to terrorism or organised crime. (irishtimes.com)
- otherInvestigators could not rule out he was planning a mass shooting. (irishtimes.com)
- otherFitzgerald shared characteristics of mass shooters including a fascination with firearms and feelings of deep isolation. (irishtimes.com)
- otherGarda Commissioner Drew Harris defended the operation before the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee. (irishtimes.com)
The reporting
newest first- 28 Jun2025Carlow gunman Evan Fitzgerald had other weapons, Garda investigation found
Reveals that gardaí found an additional shotgun and a replica firearm conclusively linked to Fitzgerald, that the firearms case was withdrawn after his death, and that co-accused Daniel Quinn Burke has pleaded guilty while Shane Kinsella has not entered a plea. Also details criticism from Senator Michael McDowell and the Garda Commissioner's defence of the operation.
accused, Evan Fitzgerald, 22, male, named, irish (judged from name)Evan Fitzgeraldaccused, Daniel Quinn Burke, male, named, irish (judged from name)Daniel Quinn Burkeaccused, Shane Kinsella, male, named, irish (judged from name)Shane Kinsella - 26 Jun2025Garda Commissioner says controlled delivery to Evan Fitzgerald 'fully warranted'
Commissioner Harris defended the controlled delivery at the PAC; former justice minister Michael McDowell called it 'a case of entrapment'; the firearm Fitzgerald used was stolen in a burglary, not from garda stock; the HKG3 rifle was stolen by the Provisional IRA from Norwegian reserves in 1984 and recovered by gardaí over 20 years ago; two individuals are still before the courts.
suspect, Evan Fitzgerald, 22, male, named, irish (judged from name)Evan Fitzgerald - 21 Jun2025Carlow shooting witness says she saw gunman with another male
New witness testimony describing Fitzgerald's interaction with another young man before the shooting, his words to the witness, the other man appearing to film, and the experience of those in the shopping centre during the six or seven shots fired into the air.
suspect, Evan Fitzgerald, 22, male, named, irish (judged from name)Evan Fitzgerald - 12 Jun2025Gardaí under scrutiny over Evan Fitzgerald case amid claim court was ‘misled’
Adds detail on the controlled delivery operation: the two firearms were decommissioned weapons from Garda stores, three young men (childhood friends) were charged under the Offences Against the State Act, the court was told there was no organised crime or terrorism link and the guns were for target shooting 'in the woods', and Fiosrú reportedly raised no concerns. The case was raised by TD Alan Kelly and Senator Michael McDowell in the Oireachtas.
suspect, Evan Fitzgerald, male, named, irish (judged from name)Evan Fitzgeraldsuspect, malesuspect, male - 11 Jun2025Garda inquiry into Evan Fitzgerald followed tip-off about Irish person trying to buy guns on darknet
Details how the investigation started via an Interpol tip-off, the controlled delivery process, the 13-charge breakdown (4 from the sting, 9 from a property search), that the sting guns were decommissioned Garda-store weapons, and political concerns raised by TD Alan Kelly and Senator Michael McDowell about the manner of arrest and charges.
suspect, Evan Fitzgerald, 22, male, named, irish (judged from name)Evan Fitzgerald - 10 Jun2025Undercover gardaí supplied Carlow gunman with firearms and ammunition, Oireachtas hears
Reports on an Oireachtas justice committee hearing where Garda Commissioner Drew Harris was questioned about the controlled delivery of firearms to Fitzgerald by undercover gardaí; Fiosrú concluded no further action would be taken.
accused, Evan Fitzgerald, 22, male, named, irish (judged from name)Evan Fitzgerald