Written by Background
In the spring of 1970, the United States was reeling from growing opposition to the Vietnam War, a conflict that had already spanned over a decade. President Richard Nixon’s decision on April 30, 1970, to expand the war into Cambodia ignited immediate backlash. Across the country, protests erupted on college campuses, with students voicing their anger over what many saw as a betrayal of Nixon’s earlier promise to de-escalate the war.
One of the most vocal campuses was Kent State University in Ohio, where tensions had been rising over several days of student-led demonstrations. The scene was marked by a mixture of peaceful rallies and violent outbursts, including the burning of the ROTC building. In response, Ohio Governor James Rhodes deployed the National Guard to restore order—a decision that would prove tragic.
What Happened
On May 4, 1970, over 2,000 students gathered on the Kent State campus for a planned anti-war protest, despite a ban issued by university officials. National Guardsmen, armed with rifles and tear gas, ordered the crowd to disperse. Many students did so, but others lingered—some yelling, others throwing rocks or returning tear gas canisters.
Just before 12:30 PM, a group of National Guardsmen suddenly turned and fired into the crowd—without warning or a direct order. Thirteen seconds of gunfire changed history: four students were killed (Allison Krause, Jeffrey Miller, Sandra Scheuer, and William Schroeder), and nine others were wounded.
None of the victims had posed a direct threat. Two of the students killed weren’t even participating in the protest—they were simply walking to class.
Impact for the Future
The Kent State shootings shocked the nation and the world. Photographs of the massacre, especially the Pulitzer Prize–winning image of a young woman crying over the body of Jeffrey Miller, became symbolic of the deep divide in American society over the Vietnam War.
In the immediate aftermath, over 450 college campuses shut down due to strikes and mass protests. Public opinion further soured against the war, and the event became a catalyst for a broader peace movement. It also forced the U.S. government and military to reconsider how they managed civil unrest and campus demonstrations.
The tragedy of Kent State remains a powerful reminder of the cost of political violence and the consequences of militarized responses to peaceful protest. In 2010, the site was designated a National Historic Landmark, honoring the memory of those lost and reinforcing the value of free speech and peaceful dissent in a democratic society.