, ▁both ▁killed ▁and ▁wounded , ▁were ▁civ ili ans . ▁Most ▁of ▁the ▁civil ian ▁cas ual ties ▁and ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁cas ual ties ▁overall ▁were ▁caused ▁by ▁the ▁British ▁Army . ▁This ▁was ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁British ▁using ▁art illery , ▁inc endi ary ▁shell s ▁and ▁heavy ▁machine ▁guns ▁in ▁built - up ▁areas , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁their ▁" in ability ▁to ▁disc ern ▁reb els ▁from ▁civ ili ans ". ▁One ▁Royal ▁Irish ▁Regiment ▁officer ▁re called , ▁" they ▁regarded , ▁not ▁un reason ably , ▁everyone ▁they ▁saw ▁as ▁an ▁enemy , ▁and ▁fired ▁at ▁anything ▁that ▁moved ". ▁Many ▁other ▁civ ili ans ▁were ▁killed ▁when ▁caught ▁in ▁the ▁cross fire . ▁Both ▁sides , ▁British ▁and ▁re bel , ▁also ▁shot ▁civ ili ans ▁deliber ately ▁on ▁occasion ; ▁for ▁not ▁obey ing ▁orders ▁( such ▁as ▁to ▁stop ▁at ▁check points ), ▁for ▁assault ing ▁or ▁attempting ▁to ▁h inder ▁them , ▁and ▁for ▁lo oting . ▁There ▁were ▁also ▁instances ▁of ▁British ▁troops ▁killing ▁un ar med ▁civ ili ans ▁out ▁of ▁reven ge ▁or ▁fr ustration : ▁not ably ▁in ▁the ▁North ▁King ▁Street ▁Mass acre , ▁where ▁fifteen ▁were ▁killed , ▁and ▁at ▁Port ob ello ▁Bar ra cks , ▁where ▁six ▁were ▁shot . ▁Furthermore , ▁there ▁were ▁inc idents ▁of ▁friendly ▁fire . ▁On ▁ 2 9 ▁April , ▁the ▁Royal ▁Dublin ▁F us ili ers ▁under ▁Company ▁Qu arter master ▁Serge ant ▁Robert ▁Flo od ▁shot