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The shooting took place outside this church at lunchtime. RTÉ/Screengrab

Wedding goes ahead after fatal shooting at church

A man in his 60s died from gunshot wounds.

Updated 9.36pm 

A MAN IN his 60s has died in a shooting outside a church in County Fermanagh.

A wedding was taking place in the church at the time.

Shooting 

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 later died from his injuries.

The other man, who is in his thirties, is not believed to have sustained any life threatening injuries.

Father Michael King said that after comforting the bride, he went ahead with the ceremony.

“I went on ahead with the wedding. I could do nothing else, because they were anxious to get this girl married,” King told BBC News.

The bride was a bit traumatised alright, so I just spoke to her and told her to take a few deep breaths to relax, and that she was safe here.

King said the two families were from the travelling community.

The BBC also reports that the two men were driven to a local police station before being taken to hospital.

Sinn Fein Councillor Thomas O’Neill told RTÉ News that the shooting happened just yards away from primary school.

He said that parents were obviously distressed by today’s shooting that happened during the school’s lunch break.

Originally published 5.44pm

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