Knife man in custody as Gardaí storm Ballina shop following ‘hostage’ situation

The Garda Emergency Response Unit, along with other garda units, responded to calls of an incident in a shop

• 00:01, 28 SEP 2023
• Updated19:10, 29 SEP 2023

A man armed with a knife is in custody following a “hostage barricade situation” in a small grocery shop in Ballina, Co. Mayo on Wednesday night.

The Garda Emergency Response Unit, along with other garda units, responded to calls of an incident in a shop in Market Square at approximately 7:15pm, as reported by Tipperary Live.

The square was closed off to the public while An Garda Síochána assessed the situation.

The business premises in question is believed to have been a small supermarket which specialises in eastern European and oriental foods.

Videos appeared on social media on Wednesday evening, purportedly showing Gardaí storming the store in which the “hostage barricade situation” was said to have been taking place, though none have been independently verified.

In one such video, seven loud bangs are heard as Gardaí enter the store, with one bystander commenting “flash bangs”.

A spokesperson for gardaí told the Irish Mirror: “Gardaí in Ballina responded to reports of a male brandishing a knife in a threatening manner in the Market Square area of Ballina, Co. Mayo this evening Wednesday, September 27 at approximately 6pm.

“On arrival at the scene, Gardaí followed the man (aged in his mid-30s) where he secured himself in a business premises and threatened to injure himself. No other persons were in the business premises at the time. A hostage barricade situation ensued.

“Gardaí have brought the incident to a conclusion and the male has been arrested and taken to a Garda Station in County Mayo.”