Police investigating the shooting of a 63-year-old man at a wedding in Fermanagh yesterday have appealed to those involved to give themselves up.
Mr Bernard McGinley, 63, of Longford, was shot once in the chest outside St Mary’s chapel on Main Street Newtownbutler at 1pm yesterday. He was driven to the local police station by other guests from where he was flown by police helicopter to the South West Acute Hospital in Enniskillen where he died.
A second man was also injured in the incident but did not sustain life-threatening injuries.
The officer leading the investigation into the murder, Detective Chief Inspector Una Jennings from Serious Crime Branch, said the PSNI are following “a number of very definite lines of enquiry in this investigation, thanks to accounts of events outside the church before the wedding ceremony given to us by other guests.”
Ms Jennings appealed for those involved in the confrontation to come forward to police on either side of the border, saying:
“It would be better for all concerned if they made themselves available to police as soon as possible so that we can build a complete picture of what happened yesterday and the background to those tragic events.”
Gardaí say they are liaising with the PSNI amid fears that yesterday's wedding day shooting in County Fermanagh could lead to further violence.
“I would appeal to those involved to think about what has happened and to think about the prospect of a life of constantly looking over their shoulder, fearing arrest or possible retribution. It would be so much better for them, and for all concerned, to come forward and make themselves available to police before any further bloodshed," Ms Jennings added.
It is understood the wedding was between two members of the travelling community and the shooting began as the bride prepared to walk up the aisle at St Mary's Church in Newtownbutler.
Councillor Thomas O'Reilly said people in the village - which only has a population of around 1,000 - were stunned by the violence.
"In a very small rural area and village such as Newtownbutler, it is shocking that something like this would happen."
The priest who said mass at the wedding in Co Fermangh where two people were shot - one fatally - says there was a sense of tension 'waiting to explode' ahead of the ceremony.
Father Michael King says yesterday's events are a 'tragedy'.
Father King said he had been officiating traveller wedding ceremonies for some time now and thought that there was always something simmering under the surface:
Pat Chapman was an eyewitness to the shooting yesterday. He spoke to Pat Kenny about the incident this morning.
The PSNI has launched an investigation.
Originally published 11/02/2015
