Kent State Shootings: Why the National Guard Opened Fire on Students
In 1970 at Kent State University, the National Guard opened fire on protesting students, killing 4. Confused orders, outdated tactics and an armed standoff turned a peaceful protest into a bloodbath.
The argument · tap a timestamp to hear it
The National Guard enters campus under arms
On May 3, 1970, 850 National Guardsmen carrying M1 rifles, bayonets and tear gas entered Kent State University, stationed at the football field and guarding the ROTC building. This deployment enraged students; even those who had not been involved in the protests felt the war had come to their doorstep. But students were not especially afraid, because previously the Guard had usually only used tear gas or brawled when handling demonstrations, and had never shot anyone dead. This time, however, unusually, the troops carried live ammunition.
Orders were confused, and the governor poured fuel on the fire
Governor Rhodes's speech was full of inflammatory rhetoric, comparing the protesters to Nazi Brownshirts and the KKK and calling them "the worst people in America." But in fact, his order to formally deploy the Guard did not come until May 5, while the troops had already arrived on May 3. There were serious disagreements among the university president, local government and the governor over the Guard's mission: the president believed the assembly had been banned, but protest leaders and professors pointed out the ban had not yet taken effect. This confused transmission of information laid the groundwork for the later clash.
Rules changed on the fly, triggering a standoff
On the evening of May 3, students gathered in the square to protest, but local government suddenly moved the curfew from 1 a.m. to 9 p.m. and sent police to disperse them. Students saw this as "changing the rules midway," so they split into two groups: one went to the president's house to demand First Amendment rights and was driven back with tear gas; the other sat down on the main road, blocking traffic and singing "Give Peace a Chance." Police and the Guard surrounded them, with helicopters circling overhead. In the end, the Guard used tear gas and bayonets to drive the students back to their dormitories, leaving at least two students stabbed and 68 arrested.
May 4: a peaceful assembly forms again
At 11 a.m. on May 4, about 2,000 students gathered in the square again. Although there was no official state of emergency, university officials still handed out leaflets saying the assembly was illegal. Guard commander General Canterbury insisted the demonstration was illegal, but students still spread word of the gathering through loudspeakers. By noon the assembly was largely peaceful, with only some crude slogans. University police announced through loudspeakers that the assembly was illegal and demanded dispersal, but their voices were drowned out, and a few rocks flew at vehicles. Canterbury then ordered two rounds of tear gas, but they missed, and the wind blew the gas away instead.
13 seconds of fire, 67 bullets
The Guard advanced to clear the area and succeeded in dispersing most of the protesters, but one group of 52 pushed too far and was trapped in the fenced stadium, pelted with rocks. Ten minutes later they received orders to withdraw and moved toward Taylor Hall. When they reached the top of the hill, 72 Guardsmen turned around, raised their weapons and fired a 13-second volley, 67 bullets in all. Four students died: Jeffrey Miller (20, 265 feet away), Allison Krause (19, 340 feet away), Sandra Scheuer (19, 390 feet away) and William Schroeder (19, 390 feet away). Another 9 were wounded, the nearest 60 feet away and the farthest 750 feet away.
One photograph changed America
After the shooting there was dead silence, and students stood frozen in place. Fourteen-year-old Mary Ann Vecchio knelt beside Jeffrey Miller's body screaming, and 21-year-old photography student John Filo took the picture, which became an image that shocked the nation. But the conflict did not end; protests spread across the country, followed by the Hard Hat Riot, the Jackson State shootings and other events. The episode stresses that this history is strikingly similar to the present and worth reflecting on.
In their own words · checked verbatim
He opens his remarks by saying that universities have been taken over by subversive elements, that radicals are using them as sanctuaries, and they must be controlled by any means necessary.
narration0:04
They're the worst type of people that we harbor in America.
narration0:04
The National Guard had tear gas, and that was basically it for non-lethals. Less-lethal ammunition like rubber bullets hadn't been widely adopted.
narration8:10
Without warning, a group of 72 guardsmen reach the top of the hill, turn, raise their weapons, and fire a coordinated volley for 13 seconds. 67 rounds crack through the early summer air.
narration13:15
Then, silence. After the gunshots, no one moves, no one speaks. Some students literally stand frozen in place, unsure of what to do.
narration14:16
When we're looking back at the story of what happened at Kent State, it really does shock and honestly deeply, deeply sadden me how much it feels like this could have all taken place in 2026.
narration15:18
Figures
| Number of National Guardsmen entering campus | 850 | 1:05 |
| Date of the Guard's formal deployment | May 5 (actually arrived May 3) | 3:08 |
| Number of arrests | 68 | 8:10 |
| Number of students gathered in the square | 2,000 | 10:12 |
| Duration of the shooting | 13 seconds | 13:15 |
| Number of bullets fired | 67 | 13:15 |
| Number of students killed | 4 | 13:15 |
| Number of students wounded | 9 | 14:16 |
| Nearest wounding distance | 60 feet | 14:16 |
| Farthest wounding distance | 750 feet | 14:16 |
Glossary
- ROTC
- An officer training program at American universities, whose buildings often became targets of anti-war protests.
- National Guard
- The reserve forces of each U.S. state, often called up for domestic emergencies.
How to listen
Viewers interested in American social movements of the 1960s and 70s, militarized policing, or historical conflict, especially those concerned with abuse of power and civil rights.
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