Ireland's police ombudsman has found no criminal offence or disciplinary breach by officers who responded to a fatal shooting at a Carlow shopping centre last year, concluding an investigation into the incident at Fairgreen Shopping Centre on 1 June 2025.
Evan Fitzgerald, 22, fired shots into the air before taking his own life with self-inflicted gunshot wounds. The weapon he used was legally held by someone else and was not a firearm previously supplied by undercover officers. Fitzgerald had been awaiting trial on illegal weapons charges at the time, with those weapons having been provided by police as part of an undercover operation.
Investigators also discovered a barrel of flammable liquid at Fitzgerald's home. He had previously attempted to purchase firearms online, including a military-grade assault rifle. Two friends of Fitzgerald received suspended three-year sentences in May 2026 for what a court described as an "utterly ludicrous act".