Cookstown hotel disco crush: Underage witnesses won't be punished, say police

Police have urged young people who saw a crush that killed three teenagers outside a disco to come forward, insisting they will not be punished for being underage.

Lauren Bullock, 17, Connor Currie, 16, and Morgan Barnard, 17, died after hundreds of people tried to get into a hotel in Cookstown, County Tyrone on St Patrick's Day.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said it was fortunate more people were not killed and appealed for young witnesses to come forward.

CCTV footage showed up to 400 people were near the incident at the Greenvale Hotel as it unfolded but officers have only identified 160 witnesses.

Eboney Johnston, who witnessed the fatal incident, said she saw people who were kneeling to help others become crushed themselves.

The 16-year-old said the teenagers were a "credit to themselves" for trying to help everybody else.

"I think we all felt guilty that it wasn't us - that we couldn't help what happened," she said.

She added that many people did not realise the seriousness of the situation until they were told to leave the venue by police.

Detective Chief Superintendent Raymond Murray said several parents had voiced concerns that their children, who may have been underage, were trying to enter a licensed premises.

He added: "I want to reassure you, the focus of our investigation is not the age of people who were at the event - it is about trying to find answers for the families of the three teenagers who tragically died.

"We need to know what you saw so the heartbroken families of Connor, Lauren and Morgan know what happened to their children."

Mr Murray said he had received the same assurance from Northern Ireland's Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Herron.

Tributes have poured in for the young victims, with Miss Bullock's cheerleading team describing her as a "down to earth, beautiful soul".

Books of condolence have opened across Northern Ireland in memory of the three teenagers.

Hotel owner Michael McElhatton - who gave CPR to the victims - said on Monday: "We are all deeply shocked and saddened by the traumatic events of last night.

"We offer our heartfelt sympathies to the families and friends of the three young people who have lost their lives."

Following the crush, a 16-year-old girl was in a stable condition in hospital and two more teenagers were treated for injuries.