The Reavey and O'Dowd killings provoked the South Armagh Republican Action Force to retaliate the following evening by shooting ten Protestant workmen to death after ambushing their minibus outside Kingsmill . The Glenanne gang had decided to avenge this attack by killing at least 30 schoolchildren and their teacher at St Lawrence O'Toole Primary School in Belleeks . It was suggested that the gang member who proposed the idea was a UDR officer with ties to British Military Intelligence who was later shot dead by the IRA . McConnell 's name , however , was not mentioned in this context . The plan was aborted at the last minute by the UVF 's Brigade Staff ( Belfast leadership ) , who deemed it " morally unacceptable " and feared such an attack against small children would lead to a civil war
shooting ten Protestant workmen to death
Kingsmill massacre
Robert McConnell (loyalist)