Tuesday, May 4, marks the 40th anniversary of the Kent State Shootings. Also called the May 4 Massacre, the incident had the National Guard soldiers open fire on a crowd of demonstrators and protesters on the Kent State University campus in Ohio on Monday, May 4, 1970. Four ended up dead, nine wounded, and none who were less than 71 feet away. None of the dead were older than 20, and two weren’t even protesting.
Background on the Kent State Shootings
Kent State University had seen numerous protests and demonstrations against the Vietnam War. President Nixon took office in 1969, being elected on a platform of reducing or stopping the war. Instead, November of 1969 revealed the institution of the draft lottery the My Lai Massacre, and in spring of 1970, the escalation of the war into Cambodia.
Here comes trouble
A student protest took place at Kent State on Friday, May 1, 1970. The invasion of Cambodia was announced the day before, and students and others in the area were incensed. Demonstrations took place and it got out of hand. The Mayor asked the Governor to declare a state of emergency, and James Rhodes, then Governor of Ohio, called the National Guard to the area on Saturday, May 2.
The Events of the day
Monday, May 4, a protest demonstration was scheduled to take place on campus, though it had been ordered canceled by authorities. They had the demonstration anyway so the National Guard launched ineffective tear gas on the students because of the wind. Tear gas canisters and rocks were thrown back. Protesters who were advanced on by 77 soldiers left the area. After a pursuit in which the National Guard marched within the opposite direction the students were fleeing in, and upon seeing the protesters again, the soldiers opened fire, 67 shots in total.
The wounded and dead
Four died as a result of the shooting:
* Jeffery Miller – 20
* Allison Krause – 19
* William Schroeder – 19; Shot in the back when en route to class. Attending on ROTC scholarship.
* Sandra Scheuer – 20; Shot in the throat while en route to class.
Nine a lot more were wounded. None of the victims were armed. There was only one lawsuit brought up against Governor Rhodes and the National Guard.
The big fallout
The aftermath of the Kent State Shootings was a period of unrest. As a result of unrest within the capitol, President Nixon has to be taken to Camp David. A report by the Scranton Commission, a government panel which studied demonstrations and unrest, found the National Guard was unjustified in opening fire, and no command was issued to do so. It is still one of the darkest chapters in American history.
Sources for the article
Kent State Shootings
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kent_State_shootings
