Alex Moorehead

Alex Moorehead 16 Years, Newtownstewart, Co. Tyrone, shot dead in Newtownstewart on 7 October 1972, by members of the British Army's Ulster Defence Regiment.

Alex Moorehead was the youngest of a family with seven children. He had attended Castlederg County Secondary School, which he left in April 1972. At the time of his death he was working in the Mid-Ulster Meat Packing Plant. He also had a part-time job in the local cinema in Newtownstewart. Alex, who was partially deaf, was described as a quiet lad who was well liked.

On the evening of 7 October 1972 Alex had been running an errand for a friend to a public house in Newtownstewart, and on his way back decided to take a short cut through a yard at the back of the Gorey Cinema, where he worked part-time. It was dark, and as he climbed a large fence in the yard a UDR soldier opened fire on him with a sub-machine gun. He was hit once in the body and fell off the fence. He died a short time later.

Initial reports after the shooting alleged he was shot after a blast bomb attack on two British army armoured vehicles passing through Newtownstewart around 9pm. It was claimed the devices exploded under the vehicles. None of the soldiers inside were reported injured, and none of the vehicles sustained any damage. The vehicles did not stop after the alleged attack but drove on through the town. Local residents, rejecting the claims of an attack, said they believed the alleged ‘blast bombs’ were no more than fireworks thrown by young children.

However, the British soldiers inside the vehicles reported the incident to their base and a patrol of the locally recruited Ulster Defence Regiment were sent to the scene to investigate. The UDR patrol sent to the scene ironically included Alex Moorehead’s uncle, who was a sergeant in the regiment. He was also in command of the patrol that night. When the patrol arrived in the town they said a civilian directed them to the town’s cinema. They said the civilian told the patrol that if they were quick the bombers were behind the cinema. The patrol immediately went to the back of the cinema and within moments there was firing and Alex was fatally wounded.

The British army Press Office issued a statement following the shooting. After relating the story of alleged ‘blast bombs’ and the patrol being directed to the back of the cinema, they said ‘a member of the UDR patrol saw a youth climbing over a 15 foot high fence behind the cinema and when he refused to stop, after being challenged three times, a UDR member fired two shots. The youth then appeared to throw something away with his right hand.’

Despite searches of the area nothing was ever found to substantiate the claim that Alex had anything in his hands at the time he was shot.

The dead youth’s uncle who was in charge of the UDR patrol later revealed he had left the patrol outside the cinema while he went inside to talk to the projectionist. He said he was talking to the man when he heard the shooting. He also said he had not given permission for the patrol to open fire.

A nurse who lived near the scene of the shooting and who went to aid the dying youth, said she found the youth lying on his back breathing heavily. She said it was very dark and a number of UDR soldiers were standing talking about five or six yards away from where the youth lay unattended. She said she had to go and ask one of the UDR soldiers to shine his torch on the youth so she could treat him. She said it was only at this point she recognised who the youth was. She said she treated him as best she could but he died at the scene, some fifteen minutes after he was shot.

An inquest into the killing of Alex Moorehead was held sometime in 1973. Some of the UDR soldiers involved in the shooting attended the hearing, including the youth’s uncle. Those soldiers involved in the actual shooting again said the dead youth refused to stop when challenged and appeared to have something in his hand when they fired.

Forensic evidence revealed Alex had been shot once in the chest from a distance of 20 to 25 yards with a sterling sub machine gun.

The coroner said ‘It is a sad reflection on society that this sort of thing should happen to a boy going about his business doing a good turn.’

His parents, who were both elderly, said they held nothing against those responsible for the killing of their son.

The jury returned an open verdict.

No one was ever charged in connection with the killing of Alex Moorehead.