Soldiers 'overreacted' when they shot five people dead in Belfast, judge says

The inquest concluded that the Army 'lost control' in the Springhill shootings and 'overreacted' to a perceived threat. The force used was 'not reasonable' and not in compliance with the Yellow Card. Soldier A was unlikely to have had an honest belief of danger; Soldier E fired without warning at Gargan. Four of the five victims were shot by Soldier A, and two were killed by the same bullet. Fr Fitzpatrick and Butler were deemed innocent; McCafferty was innocent; Dougal’s death was described as avoidable, though his prior conduct remained unclear. The MoD acknowledged the findings and pledged support for truth, recovery, reconciliation and closure. The verdict prompted calls for apology and acknowledgment from families affected.

The original inquest into the Springhill shootings was held in 1973, with the coroner returning an open verdict.

A few weeks after Springhill, 19 IRA bombs exploded across Belfast on Bloody Friday, killing nine people and injuring around 130.

On 9 July 1972, five people were shot dead in the Springhill estate. Fr Noel Fitzpatrick (42), Patrick Butler (37), and two others were killed by the same soldier; 13-year-old Margaret Gargan was shot directly in the face by Soldier E. The coroner found the force used in all five shootings was not reasonable, rejected that no rounds were fired that evening, and noted that some rounds had been fired earlier. Soldier A did not have an honest belief of immediate danger, and the force used did not comply with Army rules of engagement (Yellow Card). Fr Fitzpatrick, Butler, and Gargan were deemed wholly innocent; McCafferty was an innocent victim; Dougal’s conduct remained unclear, but he should not have been shot while retreating. No warning by Soldier A before firing at Dougal was established.

The article states that five months earlier, thirteen people were killed in Londonderry in a shooting that became known as Bloody Sunday.

The article notes that the previous summer, eleven people were shot dead in the Ballymurphy area near Belfast.