George Nkencho's family issue statement following traumatic Garda shooting

Gloria Nkencho has released a statement following the shooting of her brother, George Nkencho, in West Dublin yesterday which resulted in his death.

George Nkencho was shot in a Hartstown housing estate after members of the Garda Síochána responded to reports of a man with a knife in a local shopping centre. Bullets were fired from an official Garda firearm after an attempt to resolve the situation had reportedly failed. However, local people were stunned by the shocking turn of events, with many finding it hard to believe that it was necessary to shoot the young man, or to do so in a way that would cost him his life..

The 27-year-old was shot several times at Manorfield Drive in Clonee during the stand-off. He was pronounced dead after being transferred to Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown. Gardaí have been made aware of several videos taken of the shooting itself and its aftermath.

GSOC – the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission – is now said to be investigating the incident, and a post-mortem is due to take place shortly.

"Thank you for all your condolences and prayers. My siblings and I have witnessed the most traumatic experience of our lives as our brother was shot in front of us. George was suffering from serious mental illness and those who knew him knew the type of person he was. He was not a thug nor a criminal," Gloria wrote in her family's statement.

"My family greatly appreciate everything everyone is doing. I kindly ask to refrain from sharing the video of the shooting. It is not something I wish to be reminded of. May God bless you all. Thank you."

Statement from George Nkencho’s family #JusticeforGeorgeNkencho pic.twitter.com/9KhFh1ecxk

— Lucy Michael 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ (@drlucymichael) December 31, 2020

Meanwhile, over 200 people have gathered today to protest outside Blanchardstown Garda Station. Black Lives Matter protestors are calling for the arrest of the officer who shot George Nkencho, and say they want to receive daily updates on the GSOC investigation into the incident. A petition has also been shared on Change.org for justice to be achieved regarding the Gardaí's fatal actions.

The fatal shooting has been described as “extremely traumatic” by Justice Minister Helen McEntee.

“Yesterday’s events were extremely traumatic for everybody involved,” Helen McEntee said today.

Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, the Minister said: “Obviously, this is an extremely upsetting loss, George’s life. It’s a tragedy for his family and I want to express my sympathies to them and to everybody impacted by yesterday’s events.

“This is not something that we see happen in this country very often, but what will happen now is that there will be an investigation – there will be a GSOC investigation – into what happened and what has taken place.”

McEntee said gardaí “understand the concerns and the anguish that has been raised” by the shooting, and are engaging with the local community.

“I really can’t say anything more than there will be an investigation, the matter will be looked at, but obviously it’s extremely upsetting and traumatic to everybody involved.

“I want to again extend my sympathies to to everybody who has been impacted, in particular his family.”