Children killed in shooting were fabric of community, says MP

Two children killed in a suspected triple murder and attempted suicide in County Fermanagh were "part of the fabric of the community", the local MP has said.

Three victims - a woman in her 40s and her son and daughter -died after being shot at a house in Drummeer Road in Maguiresbridge on Wednesday.

A man - who is a member of the same household - is being treated for serious injuries at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast.

"Two wee children have lost their lives and a mummy, when they just should be enjoying the school holidays and having a wonderful time," Pat Cullen told the BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme.

At a press conference on Wednesday, a senior police officer said the investigation was at an early stage, but a suspected triple murder and attempted suicide was one line of inquiry for detectives.

Cullen said the community was "absolutely heartbroken".

"They were really part of the community, part of the fabric of the community and how sadly they will all be missed by their wee friends and of course their mother will be sadly missed by this community as well," the Sinn Féin MP said.

She said it is important that people do not speculate about the incident.

"Let's deal with the facts when they come out and when those facts are made known, then we can have conversations, but until then, it is really important with respect for the family, the wider community and the emergency services that we don't speculate," Cullen said.

Ulster Unionist peer Lord Elliott said the incident was devastating.

"The family is so local and because the wider family is so well known, it's just devastating, people are really finding it difficult to get their head around this and that this actually happened," he said.

Police remain at the scene on Thursday morning.

The road is likely to be closed for some time while officers continue to gather evidence, BBC News NI understands.

It is such a rural, quiet place and life moves slowly here.

There's a real sense of devastation in the village as people here wake up to this nightmare.

Some flowers have been left at the scene with a note saying: "We are heartbroken. May they rest in peace. You are in our prayers."

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) launched a murder inquiry on Wednesday.

Ata press conference on Wednesday afternoon, Supt Robert McGowan said no arrests had been made "it is not anticipated that they will be made".

Supt McGowan said police received a call at 07:50 BST on Wednesday and officers from Enniskillen PSNI station went to the scene at a property on Drummeer Road.

"The alarm was raised, I believe, by a phone call made from the house," he said.

The officer said the emergency services were confronted with a "harrowing scene" when they entered the home.

Supt McGowan said two of the victims were declared dead at the scene on Wednesday morning and a third died later in hospital in Enniskillen.

All three people died from gunshot wounds.

The man who is in hospital in Belfast has also suffered gunshot wounds.

The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service said it received a call at 08:21 BST on Wednesday and sent three vehicles and the air ambulance to the scene.

Police officers helped ambulance staff to administer first aid in the house.

Northern Ireland's leaders released a joint statement on Wednesday night, thanking the emergency services who responded to the shooting.

First Minister Michelle O'Neill and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said they were "deeply saddened" by what had happened.

Fermanagh Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) has offered its "heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of those impacted" by the incident.

The three family members who died were each members of two GAA clubs in County Fermanagh.

St Mary's Maguiresbridge Gaelic Football Club and St Patrick's Hurling Club Lisbellaw described them as "active and beloved" members of their organisations.

Both clubs said they would "work closely with all appropriate services to ensure that those who require support at this difficult time can access it".

Pat Cullen MP said the GAA have put their critical incident protocol in place, "so they will have their clubs open for those young people to come along".

"Sometimes it is just sufficient to come along and sit around and have conversations, but they will have the appropriate services available to them and in the wider community, but it is also important for the emergency services to have support for them," she said.

Enniskillen Cricket Club said it was "extremely saddened" by the events in Maguiresbridge.

Both children played cricket at school, the club said.

"Both of them turned out to be talented young cricketers and two absolutely lovely natured children," the club said.

"In what is a hard time for our small community, we would ask everyone to pull together and support each other through these difficult times."

A statement from a Church of Ireland's Clogher Diocese said "the whole community has been shocked and saddened following the tragic shooting incident".

"Our church community will be supporting family members in the difficult days that lie ahead and ask the public to respect their privacy at this time," said the Very Reverend Kenneth Hall.

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