Shoppers witnessed a frightening altercation at an Irish shopping center over the weekend as two men, shirtless, engaged in a violent confrontation using carpet knives and a mop. The clash resulted in a teenage boy being hospitalized with a non-life-threatening stomach injury, stemming from an ongoing dispute between rival Irish Traveller families.
The incident, which unfolded at Whitewater Shopping Centre in Newbridge, caused alarm among onlookers, with concerns of potential escalation in tensions between the feuding factions. Reports indicate that a group of individuals brandishing knives ran through the shopping center around 3:30 pm, prompting fears of retaliatory actions following the altercation.
A video capturing the chaos showed three bare-chested men outside the shopping center provoking each other before engaging in a physical altercation. The conflict spilled into the mall, with two of the men continuing to fight and introducing knives into the confrontation. As shocked shoppers observed, one of the combatants sustained a mop strike from another individual.
The injured individual managed to flee the scene, evading the group pursuing him up an escalator, while a voice in the video can be heard urging him to return. Witnesses described the scene as resembling a sword fight with Stanley knives, highlighting the disregard shown for bystanders in the vicinity.
Authorities are currently investigating the incident, appealing for witnesses to provide information. The injured teenager received medical treatment for his wound at Naas General Hospital. No arrests have been made thus far, as law enforcement officials work to unravel the circumstances surrounding the violent episode.
