Kent State University Shootings
What Provoked Campus Unrest and Death of Four Students?
Why on May 4, 1970, were thirteen students shot by Ohio National Guard troops during during a Viet Nam anti-war rally.
“I never knew people had so much blood in them”. Chris Colombi, a student at the time recalled as one of the strongest memories of that tragic day when four students lost their lives.
New Evidence?
After their investigation, the FBI could not conclusively prove what caused the soldiers to fire on the crowd of unarmed student demonstrators. However, the actual reason may soon be clarified thanks to modern technology which has enhanced a sound recording made at the time of the shooting according to a recent article and blog in from the New York Times
What caused the riots
Just days before the killings, President Richard Nixon declared a further escalation of the war in Viet Nam. Escalation of the war meant escalation in the growing anti-war protests across the country.
Shortly after Nixon’s announcement, a rally was scheduled across nation’s campuses, including the Kent State campus, in Kent, Ohio, for Friday, May 1st, 1970. At the end of Friday’s demonstration, the Kent State protesters called for a second one on Monday, May 4th at noon.
The Friday night before the shootings, students took their unrest off campus and into town taking the form of clashes with police, and vandalizing of stores and businesses. “It looked like a war zone”, commented Charles McLaughlin as he traveled through that area a few days later, on his way to a business meeting.
Fearing further unrest, Governor Rhodes called out the Ohio National Guard. Many arrived late Friday evening, directly from putting down a riot at a non-campus location. All had full riot gear and carried M-1 rifles with live ammunition.
Tension escalates
Saturday and Sunday saw more clashes between Guards and students and an unknown person or group set fire to the ROTC building on campus. Students tried to block the efforts of fire fighters to put out the fire. The atmosphere was incredibly tense.
Monday, May 4th, a group of 3000 protesters and on lookers gathered in the commons, despite announcements that any rally had been banned. Perhaps the announcement of the banning of the protest served to increase the determination of students to have their voices heard. Needless to say, the protest continued.
Students and about one hundred National Guard faced off no closer than sixty feet from each other. At first there was only yelling, name calling. Then stones thrown on both sides. As tension rose, the lock and load command was given and tear gas canisters were shot into the crowd.
Shortly, the Guard began advancing, causing the protesters to move back over a small hill then to the practice football field. There the crowd continued to yell and throw rocks and empty tear gas canisters back at the Guard. After about ten minutes there was no further escalation, and the Guard began to retreat back up to the top of the hill. Some protesters followed at a distance behind them yelling and some began to disperse.
Suddenly, as the guard reached the top of the hill, with no obvious or clear provocation, some of the guard whirled aimed and for 13 seconds opened fire on the students, hitting thirteen students – killing 4 of them. Of those 4 only 2 were actively protesting.
President Nixon was quoted as calling the protesters “bums” and “Communists”. It has been speculated that the Kent State Shooting heralded the beginning of the end of the Nixon administration.
Why did the guards fire?
To this day, many questions still remain: Who actually set fire to the ROTC building? What caused the Guards to fire? Why were they using real ammunition on an unarmed crowd?
A trial was held after the incident. The guards were not charged. Yet 4 people died. Was it merely just a tragic accident, or was the actual order to aim and fire captured on this newly discovered tape? Alan Canfora, one of the injured students that day is doing all he can to answer that question. After listening to the tape, it appears a can can be made either way. The most chilling part of the tape is not the voices on the tape, but the actual sound of 13 seconds of gunfire being uleashed on unarmed students.
Of the Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young lyrics from their song "Ohio", written to commemorate that fateful day, perhaps these are the most poignant :
“What if you knew her
And found her dead on the ground?
How can you run when you know?”
References:
The Kent Affair: Documents and Interpretations . (1971). Casale, Ottavio M. & Paskoff, Louis (Eds.) Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Four Dead In O-hi-O: The Kent State Massace article by David C Hanson
To listen to a copy of the tape, go to The New York Times News Article
