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January 30th, 1972 stands as arguably the deadliest – and momentous – dates during three decades of unrest in the region.

Throughout the area of the incident – the legacy of that fateful day are painted on the structures and embedded in people's minds.

A public gathering was conducted on a wintry, sunny period in Derry.

The protest was challenging the practice of detention without trial – holding suspects without legal proceedings – which had been established in response to three years of conflict.

Troops from the elite army unit shot dead thirteen individuals in the district – which was, and remains, a overwhelmingly republican population.

One image became particularly prominent.

Photographs showed a clergyman, the priest, using a bloodied fabric in his effort to defend a group transporting a teenager, the injured teenager, who had been fatally wounded.

News camera operators documented much footage on the day.

Documented accounts contains Fr Daly informing a journalist that military personnel "appeared to shoot indiscriminately" and he was "completely sure" that there was no justification for the shooting.

The narrative of the incident was disputed by the initial investigation.

The Widgery Tribunal found the Army had been fired upon initially.

In the peace process, the ruling party established another inquiry, following pressure by family members, who said the initial inquiry had been a cover-up.

In 2010, the findings by the inquiry said that overall, the military personnel had fired first and that zero among the individuals had posed any threat.

At that time Prime Minister, the leader, expressed regret in the government chamber – declaring fatalities were "without justification and inexcusable."

Law enforcement began to look into the events.

An ex-soldier, identified as the accused, was prosecuted for killing.

Indictments were filed concerning the deaths of the first individual, twenty-two, and twenty-six-year-old another victim.

The accused was additionally charged of seeking to harm multiple individuals, additional persons, Joe Mahon, an additional individual, and an unknown person.

Remains a legal order maintaining the defendant's anonymity, which his lawyers have argued is necessary because he is at risk of attack.

He stated to the investigation that he had solely shot at individuals who were possessing firearms.

This assertion was disputed in the final report.

Material from the inquiry was unable to be used straightforwardly as evidence in the legal proceedings.

In court, the accused was shielded from sight with a blue curtain.

He made statements for the first time in the proceedings at a hearing in December 2024, to answer "not guilty" when the allegations were presented.

Family members of the victims on the incident travelled from Londonderry to the courthouse each day of the proceedings.

One relative, whose sibling was fatally wounded, said they understood that attending the case would be difficult.

"I remember all details in my memory," the relative said, as we walked around the main locations referenced in the case – from the street, where Michael was killed, to the nearby Glenfada Park, where one victim and another victim were killed.

"It returns me to my location that day.

"I assisted with Michael and lay him in the medical transport.

"I went through each detail during the evidence.

"Despite experiencing everything – it's still worthwhile for me."