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January 30th, 1972 remains among the most fatal – and consequential – dates throughout three decades of violence in Northern Ireland.

Within the community of the incident – the images of the tragic events are displayed on the structures and etched in people's minds.

A civil rights march was organized on a chilly yet clear day in Derry.

The protest was challenging the system of imprisonment without charges – detaining individuals without trial – which had been put in place following three years of unrest.

Military personnel from the elite army unit killed 13 people in the Bogside area – which was, and remains, a predominantly nationalist community.

A specific visual became notably memorable.

Images showed a Catholic priest, the priest, displaying a bloodied fabric as he tried to shield a crowd carrying a young man, Jackie Duddy, who had been killed.

Journalists documented much footage on the day.

The archive features Father Daly explaining to a media representative that military personnel "appeared to discharge weapons randomly" and he was "totally convinced" that there was no provocation for the shooting.

That version of what happened was disputed by the original examination.

The Widgery Tribunal determined the military had been shot at first.

In the resolution efforts, Tony Blair's government established a new investigation, following pressure by family members, who said the initial inquiry had been a inadequate investigation.

During 2010, the report by Lord Saville said that generally, the soldiers had fired first and that not one of the victims had been armed.

The contemporary head of state, the Prime Minister, expressed regret in the government chamber – declaring deaths were "improper and unjustifiable."

The police commenced examine the incident.

A military veteran, identified as Soldier F, was charged for murder.

He was charged concerning the fatalities of one victim, 22, and twenty-six-year-old William McKinney.

Soldier F was also accused of seeking to harm Patrick O'Donnell, other civilians, Joe Mahon, an additional individual, and an unidentified individual.

There is a court ruling maintaining the soldier's identity protection, which his legal team have maintained is required because he is at danger.

He stated to the examination that he had exclusively discharged his weapon at individuals who were carrying weapons.

That claim was dismissed in the official findings.

Evidence from the inquiry was unable to be used immediately as testimony in the criminal process.

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

He spoke for the initial occasion in court at a session in December 2024, to reply "not guilty" when the accusations were put to him.

Relatives of those who were killed on that day made the trip from Derry to Belfast Crown Court every day of the proceedings.

John Kelly, whose relative was killed, said they always knew that listening to the proceedings would be emotional.

"I remember all details in my memory," the relative said, as we visited the primary sites referenced in the proceedings – from the street, where the victim was killed, to the nearby the courtyard, where one victim and the second person were died.

"It reminds me to my position that day.

"I assisted with my brother and place him in the ambulance.

"I experienced again the entire event during the proceedings.

"Notwithstanding having to go through all that – it's still meaningful for me."