Community in shock as twins, 8, and teen sister killed in 'violent incident' at home by 'known' suspect
JOBSTOWN, IRELAND: Eight-year-old twins Chelsea and Christy Cawley and their older sister Lisa Cash, 18, were stabbed to death by a man, 25, at their family home in Jobstown, Tallaght, Ireland, in the early hours of this morning, Sunday, September 4, 2022. Police said everyone involved is believed to have been known to each other and they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident, Daily Mail reported.
According to the Irish Mirror, a garda spokesperson said, "Gardaí in Tallaght continue to investigate all the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Lisa Cash, Christy and Chelsea Cawley at a residence in Rossfield Estate, Tallaght, on Sunday. Their mother, a woman in her 40s, has been released from hospital and is currently being supported by her family. The Family Liaison Officer continues to keep her updated as to the course of this investigation. Their brother, 14, remains in Tallaght University Hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries. The scene remains preserved for a forensic examination by the Garda Technical Bureau. Post mortems will take place on the bodies of the deceased this afternoon and tomorrow by State Pathologist Dr Sally Anne Collis."
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The spokesperson added, "The male in his early 20s arrested at the scene continues to be detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984, at Tallaght Garda Station."
The community spoke to the Irish Mirror, describing the incident as “shocking”. One man told how he heard screaming coming from the house and a female shouting “Help me, help me!”
Speaking from the scene, local Fianna Fail councilor Charlie O'Connor said the community was shocked by what happened. "I don't know how to describe it. I was getting calls from early morning with people bringing it to my attention. People are only now beginning to come out of their house. I was at the Catholic Church a while ago and a lot people hadn't heard, but the news was getting through," she said.
"There is deep shock, people are really, really upset, any event like this would cause shock but the fact that it involves children. It's a really shocking event for this community, and indeed for the wider Tallaght community and elsewhere. This will affect many, many people. I was talking to the Gardai and they told me that their colleagues who were on last night were all deeply shocked. It is terrible. We have to think of the family, their neighbors, and the wider community," she further said.
A window in the upstairs bedroom of the home was also smashed in during the incident. The scene in Rossfield Estate remains sealed off for a forensic examination, the news outlet said. Officers were called to the property in the Rossfield estate in Tallaght at about 12.30 am, where the siblings were discovered. Lisa, Christy, and Chelsea were taken by ambulance to Children's Health Ireland (CHI) in Crumlin, but all three were later pronounced dead. The Garda Armed Support Unit said it used "less-than-lethal" devices to arrest the suspect.