'World deserves to know what happened' says Tunisian shooting victim's family
The family of an Irish couple killed in the Tunisian mass shooting has said that the world deserves to know what happened to their loved ones.
Tributes are being paid to Martina and Larry Hayes from Athlone, and to Meath woman Lorna Carty who were among the 38 people killed in the attack.
Tunisian authorities are stepping up their investigations, while efforts to repatriate the bodies are underway.
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56-year-old Larry and 55-year-old Martina Hayes from Athlone were on holidays for a third time in Tunisia. They were waiting for a bus to the airport when the gunman opened fire.
They were among 38 people - three of them Irish - to have been killed.
Billy Kelly is Martina Hayes’s brother. He has said that the family wants answers.
"The world deserves to know what those people did. They shot my sister and her husband in cold blood. They were a hardworking family, my sister Martina was a very proud housewife and they were a loving family," said Mr Kelly.
The couple were well known in Athlone town, which locals say has been ‘stunned into silence’. Larry or Lonnie to many friends worked with Bus Éireann for over 20 years.
The company’s regional manager Brian Connolly said that he will be dearly missed.
"We're all in a state of shock at this stage. There are lots of stories being recounted about Larry, he was very much liked. The whole company are finding it very difficult to cope at this stage," said Mr Connolly.
Efforts to repatriate the bodies of Martina and Larry Hayes and third Irish victim Meath woman Lorna Carty are now underway - although it is not yet clear when this will happen.
Investigations into the shooting are continuing in Tunisia where officials believe the shooter had help from other militants.
More than 30 of the victims are from the UK- Prime Minister David Cameron says the fight against Islamic State is the biggest challenge of a generation.
