A gunman had interrupted a wedding ceremony in the afternoon of Wednesday, February 11, 2015 after he went on a shooting spree killing one man and leaving two others injured in a failed attempt to murder the groom.
The occasion which was supposed to be a happy celebration turned out bloody in St Mary’s Church in Newtownbutler, Northern Ireland, at precisely 1pm.
According to Irish Mirror, one of the three victims was shot, the other was stabbed while the deceased victim, a man in his sixties gave up in a hospital after being flown in an emergency helicopter
Sinn Fein councillor, Thomas O’Reilly said, “Guests at the wedding put them in cars and took them to the [police] barracks and then an ambulance was called by police and they were taken to hospital.
“There’s a white and black car still sitting at the church.
“The shooting happened outside the church on the pavement but I think the bride was inside the church at the time of the shooting.
“It’s very traumatic for the wedding guests and people here are very shocked that this happened adjacent to the primary school.
“My thoughts are with those who are injured.”
Detective Chief Inspector Michael Harvey said, “The victim was shot along with another man outside a chapel on Main Street in Newtownbutler at around 1pm this afternoon.
“He was flown to hospital in a Police helicopter but died from his injuries.
“The other man, who is in his thirties, is not believed to have sustained any life threatening injuries.”
The injured men were taken away from the scene to nearby Lisnaskea police station in a white van where police emergency helicopter was subsequently used to fly them to hospital for treatment.
Lisnaskea police station is cordoned off where the white van can be seen abandoned outside its gates.
Some witnesses who were close to the scene when the incident happened expressed great surprise that such a thing could happen especially in a small town like Newtownbutler,
The gunman was apprehended after a failed bid to escape in a white car which crashed close to the area.
