Two communities have expressed devastation over the deaths of a mother and her two children in a shooting in their Co Fermanagh home on Wednesday.
The victims have been named as Vanessa Whyte (45), originally from Co Clare, and her son and daughter, James and Sara Rutledge.
Sara was 13 years old and James was 14, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said.
Confirming the identities on Thursday, Det Chief Insp Neil McGuinness said: “Our thoughts remain with those loved ones whose worlds have been torn apart.”
He appealed for information that could help with the investigation. “I am particularly keen to hear from anyone who had spoken to Vanessa, Sara or James over the last few weeks,” he said.
Ms Whyte and one of the children were pronounced dead by the emergency services when they arrived at the property on Drummeer Road near Maguiresbridge on Wednesday morning. The third victim died later in hospital.
A fourth individual, an adult male from the same household, is in a serious condition in hospital.
A murder investigation is under way, and the PSNI has said one line of inquiry was a triple murder and attempted suicide.
A police cordon remained on Drummeer Road on Thursday afternoon, while bouquets of flowers were laid near the scene of the shooting. A message attached to a bunch of pink roses read: “We are all heartbroken. May they rest in peace.”
A vigil has been organised to take place at Maguiresbridge Primary School in memory of Ms Whyte and the two children. It was arranged by the Maguiresbridge Village and Rural Development Association, whose vice-chair, Sonya Smith, said: “We felt we had to do something to mark this terrible, terrible loss.”
“People are devastated ... This tragedy has affected so many, and we want them to know that they aren’t alone,” she said.
James and Sara were pupils at Enniskillen Royal Grammar School, which paid tribute to them in a statement on Thursday. It described the siblings as “two vibrant and much valued pupils” and sent “heartfelt condolences” to their family circle.
The family were members of St Mary’s Maguiresbridge GFC and St Patrick’s Lisbellaw hurling club, which said all three “will be desperately missed”.
The clubs offered their “heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of all those impacted by the tragic incident”. They are working with the GAA at county, provincial and national level to implement the association’s critical incident protocols.
Ms Whyte was a vet at the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera).
The North’s chief veterinary officer, Brian Dooher, said she was a “highly respected member of the Daera veterinary services and animal health group, a devoted mother and an active member of her local community”.
“Many of us had the privilege of knowing Vanessa personally and she was hugely admired by all those who came across her,” he said. “The loss we feel today is immense and it has profoundly affected us.”
Daera permanent secretary Katrina Godfrey described her as a “hugely respected member of the veterinary profession” who would be “greatly missed by all who worked alongside her”.
Ms Whyte was from Barefield, Co Clare, attended secondary school in Coláiste Muire in Ennis and moved to Fermanagh several years ago.
[ Fermanagh village in shock after woman and two children killed in houseOpens in new window ]
Ennis councillor Mary Howard expressed her condolences to Ms Whyte’s family and friends.
“I’m gutted for the family. It’s the most tragic [ ...] news you could possibly have. Anyone I have met this morning has just been in shock”, she said.
Fr Tom Fitzpatrick, parish priest of Barefield, said “a cloud has descended on the community”, which is “shattered”. He said Ms Whyte loved her native county and came back often to visit her mother Mary.
Meanwhile, the PSNI on Thursday afternoon warned against speculation about the fatalities in Maguiresbridge.
In a brief statement, the police said they were “aware of ongoing speculation and the sharing of imagery on social media”. Officers asked people to “refrain from sharing misinformation or images as this may ultimately have a negative impact on the criminal justice process”.
