Jenny BowlesA childminder who looked after the two teenagers killed in a shooting in County Fermanagh has said she loved them like they were her own.
Vanessa Whyte and her children, James and Sara Rutledge, were killed in a suspected triple murder and attempted suicide in Maguiresbridge on Wednesday.
Ms Whyte, who was 45, was a veterinary surgeon while James and Sara were 14 and 13 respectively.
Jenny Bowles, who minded the children since they were babies, said James and Sara were “very much part of our family and always will be”.
“We have very fond memories of them and they will last a lifetime,” she told BBC News NI.
She said she was “completely devastated” by their deaths and “just can’t take it in yet”.
Ms Bowles worked as the family’s childminder from when the children were both about three months old until they were eight years of age.
She described James and Sara as lovely children who had “a great relationship” as brother and sister and were “very close to each other”.
The childminder also built up a friendship with their mother, who often relied on her support, as her own family were based in her native County Clare.
“Vanessa was a lovely person, a very strong person,” Ms Bowles said, adding the vet’s children were the love of her life.
“She told me: ‘My kids come first, anything else comes after that’. James and Sara were her first and everything.”
Ms Bowles said both children loved the outdoors and James took a keen interest in farm machinery and Arsenal Football Club while Sara loved animals.
Mourners have been leaving flowers and gifts for the family close to the scene of the shooting at the family’s house on Drummeer Road.
The childminder left a toy rabbit in memory Sara, recalling how, when she was a very young girl, Sara often carried one around with her.
“That wee bunny was maybe hidden in her school bag an odd day, so that she could have it when she got to our house later on,” Ms Bowles said.
“She just loved her wee bunny, so I thought I’ll have to leave a bunny for Sara.”
A man – who is a member of the same household – is being treated for serious gunshot injuries at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast.
A book of condolences opened on Friday morning at Maguiresbridge Primary School, where James and Sara previously attended.
A vigil was held in the grounds of the village primary school on Friday evening, during which a minute’s silence was held as a mark of respect for the family.
A number of religious representatives made speeches during the event and those gathered were told that hearts are heavy and burdened.
James and Sara were ‘just wonderful children’
Earlier, the school’s principal Honor Irvine said Sara and James were “just wonderful children” who were not only academically gifted, but also “really good on the sports fields”.
“When the news broke on Wednesday morning we just didn’t know how to react, we were shocked,” she said.
The principal described Ms Whyte as a “wonderful, devoted mother” who was “absolutely part of our school community”.
“She was in our parent support group for many years, loved to roll up her sleeves, loved to get involved in things,” she said.
“She was loved by our parent community and was very much part of the local community through her hurling and her GAA.”
The family’s passion for gaelic games “ran deep”, according to St Mary’s Maguiresbridge Ladies Gaelic Football Club, where Sara was a “special member”.
“Her coaches remember her as quiet yet full of life, exceptionally well-mannered, and always dedicated,” the club said.
Always supporting James and Sara from the sidelines was their “devoted mother” whose enthusiasm for the game was “matched only by the immense pride she took in her children”.
James was the under-14 captain of Maguiresbridge St Mary’s Gaelic Football Club this year.
He was the “heartbeat of our team”, the club said.
“During games, his enthusiasm and strength of character was only echoed by that of Vanessa and Sara, who would inevitably be cheering him on from the sideline,” the club said.
Speaking to BBC News NI’s Good Morning Ulster programme, First Minister Michelle O’Neill urged anyone who does not feel safe in their home to “please reach out and seek support and advice”.
“We need to mobilise the whole of society and the whole of government to work together to ensure that we do everything that we can to try to minimise what is violence against women and girls,” she said.
‘A highly respected vet’
PSNIMs Whyte was originally from Barefield, County Clare, in the Republic of Ireland.
At the time of her death she was employed by Stormont’s Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera).
Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir said Ms Whyte was a “highly respected vet and a work colleague”.
She had previously worked at Lakeland Vets in Derrygonnelly, County Fermanagh.
James and Sara were pupils at Enniskillen Royal Grammar School.
A support facility for pupils, parents and staff is being set up at the school’s Cooper Crescent site.
In a statement on Thursday, the Western Trust said it is working closely with the Education Authority and local community groups to support any children that may be affected by the incident.
Defenders of the Rock has cancelled its annual band parade in nearby Lisbellaw on Saturday, in light of the incident.
“There will be other days to parade, but in these days of mourning, respect must come first,” organisers said.
