Mother and two children killed in Fermanagh shooting, BBC understands

Police cordened off Drummeer Road, close to the scene of the fatal shooting

A woman in her 40s and two children, one boy and one girl, have been killed in a shooting in County Fermanagh.

BBC News NI understands that the victims of the gun attack in Maguiresbridge were a mother and her two children.

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

The district police commander told reporters the investigation was at an early stage, but a suspected triple murder and attempted suicide "would be one line of inquiry".

Supt Robert McGowan told a press conference that the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has started a murder investigation and are "working at pace" to determine the circumstances.

He confirmed that two of the victims were declared dead at the scene on Wednesday morning and a third died later in hospital.

All three people died from gunshot wounds and the injured man in hospital has also sustained gunshot wounds.

Supt McGowan told reporters that the PSNI received a call at 07:50 BST on Wednesday morning and officers from Enniskillen PSNI station went to the scene.

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

'Harrowing scene' for first responders

Supt Robert McGowan confirmed the PSNI has launched a murder investigation

Supt McGowan said it was a "harrowing scene for all involved," not only for police officers who attended, but also for ambulance service workers and family members.

"I am keen to, first and foremost, express my sympathy to family members and loved ones who are today left in total shock, and who will inevitably be struggling to come to terms with their unimaginable loss," he said.

He explained the shooting happened "just happened prior to police attending" and PSNI officers worked with ambulance staff to administer first aid.

Earlier, 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.

Supt McGowan told reports that no arrests have been made so far and "it is not anticipated that they will be made".

The officer said the suspect had a "limited footprint" with police and there was a "limited domestic history" involving the people concerned.

The officer said he was "aware that this tragic event will have sent waves of sadness throughout the community" and he reassured residents that a police presence would remain in the area.

Police described the scene as "harrowing" for emergency responders

In a statement, St Mary's Maguiresbridge Gaelic Football Club said the people who died were all "active and beloved" members of its club.

"We offer our heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of those impacted by the tragic incident which happened in our community this morning," it said.

"We will work closely with all appropriate services to ensure that those who require support at this difficult time can access it."

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 Dean Kenneth Hall.

The Drumeer Road outside Maguiresbridge is a quiet rural area.

The road has been closed from early this morning with a stationary police car blocking those approaching.

A large media presence has gathered at the police tape as officers carry out work at the scene.

'It's a terrible shock'

Local people say they are devasted by the news

Ken Hutchinson, who lives in the area, said "it's a shock for the whole community".

He said he was thinking of the immediate family of the victims.

He said Maguiresbridge is a community where "everyone mixes well" and "this is a complete contrast to the normal goings on in this place".

"It's a terrible shock," he added.

He said it's a "tragedy" and "unbelievable" that children have been killed.

Margaret Erwin, who also lives in the community, says "it's heartbreaking to hear".

She something like this is devastating "no matter where it happens, but to be on your doorstep, is particularly sad."

"To be aware of the friends of other friends of the children involved, it just brings it closer to home and makes it more real for us".

"You're not out of the woods in a rural area," she added.

Democratic Unionist Party assembly member Deborah Erskine urged people not to speculate about the incident, while "police carry out their work".

"This is truly shocking and has stunned the entire community," she added.

"The area of Maguiresbridge where this has happened is a rural, quiet area and everyone is deeply affected by what has happened this morning."

Erskine said the incident is "unimaginable".

She said: "Things like this are very rare, they don't happen in this part of the world, it is a close knit community."

Erskine said the incident has "caused widespread shock, not just in Maguiresbridge, but right across Fermanagh".

DUP MLA Deborah Erskine said the community is in shock

"This is a small rural area, this road is a very rural road, things like this are completely unexpected in this part of the world.

"The foremost in all in all of our thoughts will be with the family and what they have had to deal with today," Erskine told BBC News NI.

Sinn Féin MP Pat Cullen said her "thoughts are with the victims and their families at this tragic time".

She said: "I am thinking of their families and those wee children's school friends and how it must feel in a close knit community like this.

"The community is heartbroken, as we are, and totally shocked at the news as any community would be."

Fermanagh and South Tyrone MP Pat Cullen said the community is "heartbroken"

Cullen also paid tribute to the paramedics who had to work under a "really tragic set of circumstances".

"They're all human beings as well, it's unimaginable how much this will impact on them," Cullen told BBC News NI.

Justice Minister Naomi Long said her "thoughts and sympathies are with those affected" following the "horrific incident".

She also asked people not to "speculate, online or elsewhere, as to the details surrounding it while it is being investigated".

Posting on X, UUP MLA Diana Armstrong said the news was "heart breaking".

"The loss of life and the serious injuries reported have shocked the local community."

In a joint statement, the health and justice ministers praised the work of the emergency responders.