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Kent State Shooting Facts: Fast Fact Sheet
Fast, fun facts and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
about the Kent State Shooting.
What was the Kent State Shooting? The Kent State Shooting
happened when the Ohio National Guard fired
into a crowd of Kent State University
demonstrators and protestors, killing four
and wounding nine Kent State students.
Why did the Kent State Shooting happen? The Kent State Shooting
happened during the protests and
demonstrations following the announcement
that President Nixon had extended the
Vietnam War into Cambodia on April 30, 1970
and and the need to draft 150,000 more U.S.
troops for an expansion of the Vietnam War
effort..
When did the Kent State Shooting occur? The Kent State Shooting
occurred on May 4, l970
Who was killed in the Kent State Shooting?
The names of the students killed in the Kent
State Shooting were Allison Krause, Sandra
Lee Scheuer, Jeffrey Glenn Miller and
William K. Schroeder.
Why was the
Kent State Shooting important?
The Kent State Shooting
was important and the tragedy had a significant effect on the
American public and proved to be a turning point in the U.S.
involvement in the Vietnam War. The shootings resulted in anger and
outrage, galvanizing anti-war demonstrations including
protest rallies, teach-ins and peace vigils across the
campuses of America. The peaceful protests erupted into death and
violence at the Kent State University
when 4 students were killed by by National Guardsmen and this was
followed by a similar incident on May 14, 1970 when two more
students were killed by police at the all-black Jackson State
University. The deaths of American students prompted a massive
public outcry and a nationwide student strike. A wave of skepticism
about the actions of the president and the US government swept the
country. Richard Nixon had campaigned on a platform that
included the claim of a 'secret plan' to end the Vietnam War and had
introduced the policy known as
Vietnamization to wind down the war. The invasion of Cambodia
widened the "credibility gap" between what the government said and
what it actually did.
Kent State Shooting
Facts for kids
The following fact
sheet contains interesting facts and information on Kent State Shooting
Kent State Shooting
Facts for kids
Kent State Shooting
Facts - 1: On May 4, l970
members of the Ohio National Guard fired into a crowd of
Kent State University demonstrators, killing four and
wounding nine Kent State students.
Kent State Shooting
Facts -
2: The students were
protesting against the escalation of the Vietnam War
with the invasion of Cambodia and the need to draft
150,000 more U.S. soldiers for an expansion of the
Vietnam War effort..
Kent State Shooting
Facts - 3: Background History to the Kent
State Shooting: The anti-war movement had grown due to the horrific,
unrelenting media coverage of the Vietnam War that included shocking
scenes of the carnage. Opposition to the Vietnam War grew with the
cover-up and the attempted whitewash of the horrific
My Lai Massacre.
Kent State Shooting
Facts - 4: Background History
to the Kent State Shooting: The psychological and
political victory of the communist
Tet Offensive, and the invasion of
the U.S. embassy in Saigon, had severely damaged
national confidence in the Vietnam war policies
contradicting the optimistic claims by the U.S.
government that the Vietnam War was all but over.
Kent State Shooting
Facts - 5: Background History to the Kent
State Shooting: Opposition to the draft was intense and the Youth
Movement had escalated in the mid-1960's as young people adopted the
Hippie counterculture of love and peace and popularized the
anti-establishment phrase "Turn on, tune in, drop out".
Kent State Shooting
Facts - 6: America witnessed the return
of Vietnam veterans and the shock of seeing so many of them severely
disabled. Amputations and other crippling wounds were 300% higher
than in WW2. A massive 10% of all Americans who served in the
Vietnam war ended up as casualties. The average age of the US troops
killed in the conflict was just 23 years of age.
Kent State Shooting
Facts - 7: Background History
to the Kent State Shooting: President Nixon had
announced the policy of 'Vietnamization'
on November 3, 1969, promising to gradually withdraw the
United States combat troops in the Vietnam War by
turning the fighting over to the Vietnamese.
Kent State Shooting
Facts - 8: The escalation of
the Vietnam War into Cambodia was announced by President
Nixon on national television and radio on April 30,
l970. The news immediately prompted spontaneous protests
the next day on college campuses across the United
States. Kent State University called for another rally
to start at noon on Monday, May 4, 1970.
Kent State Shooting
Facts - 9: On the evening of
Friday May 1 Tensions were high in downtown Kent and
escalated into violent confrontations between protestors
and local police which included windows being broken,
the lighting of bonfires and police cars being hit with
bottles. The Reserve Officers Training Corps
(ROTC) building was set ablaze. The entire Kent police
force was called out together with other officers from
the county.
Kent State Shooting
Facts -
10: Leroy Satrom, the
Kent Mayor, declared a state of emergency, called the
office of Governor James Rhodes for assistance, and
ordered all of the bars closed. The closure of the bars
caused more problems, arrests were made and the police
used tear gas to disperse the crowd.
Kent State Shooting
Facts - 11: On Saturday May 2, 1970, Mayor Satrom
requested Governor Rhodes to send the Ohio National
Guard to Kent. The Ohio National Guard arrived in Kent
at about 10pm and was soon involved in confrontations
with the demonstrators and more tear gas was used to
disperse the crowds.
Kent State Shooting
Facts -
12: On Sunday May 3,
1970, nearly 1000 Ohio National Guardsmen occupied the
Kent State University campus. Governor James Rhodes
attended a press conference in Kent strongly criticizing
the protestors and warning that the full force of the
law would be used to quell further disturbances.
Governor Rhodes inflamed the situation and more
confrontations occurred on Sunday night.
Kent State Shooting
Facts - 13: On Monday May 4, 1970,
attempts were made to ban the rally at the Kent State University
campus but by noon 3000 people were gathered on site. Of these it is
believed that about 500 were core demonstrators, supported by about
another 1000 "cheerleaders" with approximately 1500 bystanders.
Kent State Shooting
Facts - 14: General Robert Canterbury, the
highest official of the Ohio National Guard, ordered the crowd to
disperse from the Commons who responded with angry protests and some
rock throwing. The 'Commons' was a large, grassy area in the middle
of the campus and the traditional site for holding rallies and
demonstrations at the university.
Kent State Shooting
Facts - 15: The crowd moved away from the
Commons up Blanket Hill, and down the onto the Prentice Hall parking
lot and the adjoining practice football field. They were followed by
National Guardsmen and there were instances of rock throwing but no
shots were fired by the Ohio National Guard.
Continued...
Kent State Shooting
Facts for kids
Kent State Shooting
Facts for kids
Kent State Shooting
Facts - 16: The National
Guardsmen retreated back up Blanket Hill. It was at this
point the shooting occurred. As the Guardsmen reached
the top of the hill they formed a skirmish line and 28
of the more than 70 National Guardsmen suddenly turned
and fired their guns. It was at 12:24 p.m.
Kent State Shooting
Facts - 17: Many of the
guardsmen fired into the air, but a few fired directly
into the unarmed crowd. a thirteen second period between
61 and 67 shots were fired.
Kent State Shooting
Facts -
18: There was chaos
and confusion when the shots were fired. Some of the
students believed the National Guardsmen were firing
into the air and stood staring, others were too shocked
to react and others threw themselves to the ground in
terror. As the students realized that people were lying
bleeding on the ground many of the girls started
screaming.
Kent State Shooting
Facts -
19: Some enraged
students were ready to launch an all-out attack on the
National Guard but were calmed down by University
professors, led by geology professor Glenn Frank, who
successfully pleaded with them not to escalate the
violence. Both the National Guard and the students
left the area as the ambulances arrived to help in the
wake of the shootings.
Kent State Shooting
Facts -
20: The entire campus
was sealed off and a court injunction was issued
ordering all students to leave the university and a 5pm
curfew was declared in Kent.
Kent State Shooting
Facts - 21: Four Kent State
students were killed and nine more people were injured.
The names of those killed at the Kent State Shooting
were Allison Krause, Sandra Lee Scheuer, Jeffrey Glenn
Miller and William K. Schroeder.
Kent State Shooting
Facts - 22: Allison Krause of
Pittsburgh was 19 years old. Allison Krause was shot in
the left side of her body in the Prentice Hall parking
lot at about 330 feet from the Guardsmen.
Kent State Shooting
Facts - 23: Sandra Lee Scheuer
of Youngstown, Ohio was 20 years old. Sandra Scheuer was
shot on the left front side of her neck in the Prentice
Hall parking lot at about 390 feet from the Guardsmen.
Kent State Shooting
Facts -
24: William K.
Schroeder of Lorain, Ohio was 19 years old. William
Schroeder was shot in the left side of his back in the
Prentice Hall parking lot at about 390 feet from the
Guardsmen.
Kent State Shooting
Facts -
25: Jeffrey Glenn
Miller of Plainsview, Long Island was 20 years old.
Jeffrey Miller was shot in the mouth near the Prentice
Hall parking lot, a distance of approximately 270 feet
from the National Guard.
Kent State Shooting
Facts -
26: The nine other
Kent State students who were wounded in the shooting
were located either in the Prentice Hall parking lot or
on the Blanket Hill area. The names of those injured in
the shootings were Thomas Grace, Joseph Lewis, John
Cleary, Douglas Wrentmore, Alan Canfora, James Russell,
Robert Stamps and Dean Kahler.
Kent State Shooting
Facts -
27: Thomas Grace was
shot in the left ankle at the Kent State Shooting.
Joseph Lewis was shot in the abdomen and left lower leg.
John Cleary was shot in the chest. Alan Canfora was shot
in the right wrist. Douglas Wrentmore was shot in the
right knee. James Russell was struck in his right leg
and on his forehead. Robert Stamps was shot in the back.
Donald Mackenzie was shot in the neck. Dean Kahler was
shot in the small of his back and was permanently
paralyzed from the waist down.
Kent State Shooting
Facts -
28: A photograph of
Mary Vecchio, a 14 year old runaway visiting the campus,
appeared on the front pages of newspapers across the
country covering the Kent State Shooting. The photograph
pictured the helpless, screaming girl over the body of
Jeffery Miller. The photographer, John Filo, later won a
Pulitzer Prize for the photograph which became a classic
image of the Vietnam War and its repercussions at home.
Kent State Shooting
Facts -
29: The news of the
Kent State shooting shocked the nation. Hundred of
colleges and universities were closed across the U.S.
for the summer. And the debate raged as to whether the
Ohio National Guardsmen were justified in the Kent State
shooting.
Kent State Shooting
Facts -
30: On Friday May 15,
1970 a similar tragedy occurred when police opened fire
killing two students and injuring twelve at the
all-black Jackson State College (now Jackson State
University) in Mississippi.
Kent State Shooting
Facts -
31: Anti-war
demonstrations continued and many Vietnam veterans threw
away their military medals and ribbons, protesting
against the continuance of the Vietnam War.
Kent State Shooting
Facts -
32: The National
guardsmen who shot into the crowd claimed they did so in
self-defense as they believed their lives were in
danger. The Nixon administration appeared to blame the
protesters for provoking the guardsmen and polls
conducted at the time indicated that most of the
American public also believed that the actions of the
protestors were to blame.
Kent State Shooting
Facts -
33: On June 13, 1970,
President Nixon established the Scranton Commission,
officially known as the President's Commission on Campus
unrest, to investigate the shooting. The Scranton
Commission issued its findings in a September 1970
report, concluding that the shootings at Kent State were
unjustified.
Kent State Shooting
Facts -
34: Regardless of who
was to blame, the Kent State Shooting marked a
significant turning point in the conduct of the war in
Vietnam. The Nixon administration was compelled to
withdraw troops from Cambodia within a month of the
invasion, and announced that the number of troop
withdrawals from Vietnam would be increased.
Kent State Shooting
Facts -
35: Court cases went through several
trials but weak case were brought against the guardsmen.
The civil trial was appealed several times before it was
settled out of court in 1979.
Kent State Shooting
Facts -
36: The victims and the families of the
students killed received the collective sum of $675,000,
paid for by the State of Ohio. The reparations came with
a signed statement from the guardsmen in which they
expressed their regret of the tragedy.
Kent State Shooting
Facts -
37: No official apology was ever issued
for the Kent State Shooting.
Kent State Shooting
Facts -
38: The U.S. military
involvement at the
End of the Vietnam War came on
15 August 1973 with the withdrawal of U.S. troops in
Vietnam
Kent State Shooting - President Richard Nixon Video
The article on the Kent State Shooting provides detailed facts and a summary of one of the important events during his presidential term in office
and is supplemented by the following
Richard Nixon video.
Kent State Shooting
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Interesting Facts about Kent State Shooting for kids and schools
●
Summary of the Kent State Shooting in US history
●
Facts about the Kent State Shooting
●
Richard Nixon Presidency from
January 20, 1969 to August 9, 1974
●
Fast, fun, Kent State Shooting
about major events in his presidency
●
Foreign & Domestic policies of President Richard Nixon
● Richard Nixon Presidency and
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