LONDON

Police in Northern Ireland on Tuesday announced the arrest of a former soldier on suspicion of being involved in the 1972 “Bloody Sunday” shootings that left 14 unarmed civilians dead.

Detectives arrested a 66-year-old man in Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland, police said in a statement.

According to local media, the suspect is though to be a former member of the Parachute Regiment - the unit that opened fire on civil rights protesters in Londonderry on Jan. 30, 1972. He is the first person to be arrested as part of the Bloody Sunday investigation.

The incident caused public outcry in Northern Ireland and had been the subject of numerous of investigations since. The first, known as the Widgerty Inquiry, was set up shortly after the killings and cleared the troops of blame.

The Saville inquiry, whose findings were published in 2010, declared the first shot had been fired by paratroopers. Following the report's publication, Prime Minister David Cameron apologized to the victims on behalf of the British government.

In a statement to the BBC, the Ministry of Defense said: "We are aware an ex-soldier has been arrested by the Police Service of Northern Ireland in connection with their investigation into the events of Bloody Sunday."