A man was seen allegedly brandishing what appeared to be a gun at one of Cork city’s most popular summer spots before being wrestled to the ground by members of the public
A man was tackled to the ground after being spotted wielding what appeared to be a gun at one of Cork city’s most beloved summer destinations.
On Friday, footage emerged showing a man at the water’s edge at The Lough retrieving what appeared to be a handgun from a rucksack. A brief clip captured by a bystander shows the individual brandishing the weapon and seemingly loading a magazine, though it is hard to determine precisely from the footage.
One witness told Cork Beo they noticed a disturbance beneath the trees a short distance from the water’s edge, before spotting a man being brought to the ground. It is believed that the suspected firearm was either a replica or an airsoft gun.
Under Irish law, airsoft guns are not required to have orange tips, unlike in many other countries. This makes it virtually impossible to tell an airsoft weapon apart from a genuine firearm at first glance.
The man seen at the Lough.
There are restrictions on the power of airsoft guns here in Ireland, though a shot to the eye or another sensitive area of the body can inflict serious and permanent injury, reports Cork Beo.
A second video captured the man being pinned to the ground by two individuals. While it was initially thought that Gardaí had confronted the armed man, the Garda Press Office confirmed no reports on their system correspond with the incident.
The two men who stepped in managed to restrain the individual after he had caused considerable alarm by displaying the weapon. The incident took place on a sunny Friday afternoon when large crowds had gathered at The Lough to enjoy the warm weather.
Councillor Shane O’Callaghan, representing Cork South Central, commented: “It must have been a very distressing situation for everyone involved, and I would encourage anyone who witnessed or has information regarding this incident to contact their local Garda station.”
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