Kent State Shootings: Why the National Guard Fired on Students
In 1970 at Kent State University, the National Guard opened fire on student protesters, killing four. Confused orders, outdated tactics, and armed confrontation turned a peaceful protest into bloodshed.
The argument · tap a timestamp to hear it
Armed National Guard troops occupy the campus
On May 3, 1970, 850 National Guardsmen armed with M1 rifles, bayonets, and tear gas arrived at Kent State University, bivouacking on the football field to guard the ROTC building. The deployment enraged students; even those not normally involved in protests felt the war had come to their doorstep. But students were not particularly afraid, because guardsmen in previous demonstrations had usually used only tear gas or scuffles, never firing live rounds. This time, however, the troops carried live ammunition.
Confused orders and a governor who fanned the flames
Governor Rhodes's speech was inflammatory, comparing protesters to Nazi Brownshirts and the KKK, calling them 'the worst people in America.' But in fact, his order formally deploying the Guard came only on May 5, even though troops had arrived on May 3. There were serious disagreements among the university president, local government, and the governor over the Guard's mission: the president thought the assembly had been banned, but protest leaders and professors pointed out the ban was not yet in effect. This confused flow of information set the stage for the later conflict.
A last-minute rule change sparks a standoff
On the evening of May 3, students gathered on the Commons to protest, but local authorities moved the curfew up from 1 a.m. to 9 p.m. and sent police to disperse them. Students saw this as 'changing the rules mid-game' and 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 in the middle of a main road to block traffic, singing 'Give Peace a Chance.' Police and Guardsmen surrounded them, with helicopters overhead. Eventually, the Guard used tear gas and bayonets to push students back to the dorms, leaving at least two students stabbed and 68 arrested.
May 4: a peaceful rally resumes
At 11 a.m. on May 4, about 2,000 students again gathered on the Commons. Although no official state of emergency existed, university officials distributed flyers calling the assembly illegal. Guard commander General Canterbury insisted the demonstration was unlawful, but students still spread word of the rally through loudspeakers. By noon, the rally was largely peaceful, apart from some vulgar chants. Campus police used a loudspeaker to declare the assembly illegal and order dispersal, but the voice was drowned out, and a few rocks were thrown at vehicles. Canterbury then ordered two volleys of tear gas, which missed, and the wind blew the gas away.
13 seconds of firing, 67 bullets
The Guard advanced to clear the area, successfully dispersing most protesters, but a group of 52 pushed too far and got trapped against a fenced-in practice field, where they were pelted with rocks. After 10 minutes, they received an order to withdraw and moved toward Taylor Hall. When they reached the top of the hill, 72 Guardsmen turned, raised their weapons, and fired a volley lasting 13 seconds, totaling 67 bullets. 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). Nine others were wounded, from as close as 60 feet to as far as 750 feet.
One photograph changes America
After the shooting, there was dead silence; students stood frozen. Fourteen-year-old Mary Ann Vecchio knelt screaming beside Jeffrey Miller's body, and 21-year-old photojournalism student John Filo captured the image that would shock the nation. But the conflict did not end; protests spread across the country, followed by the hard-hat riot and the Jackson State shootings. The program stresses that this history has striking parallels to the present and is 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 on campus | 850 | 1:05 |
| Official deployment date of the Guard | May 5 (actually arrived May 3) | 3:08 |
| Number arrested | 68 | 8:10 |
| Students gathered on the Commons | 2,000 | 10:12 |
| Duration of firing | 13 seconds | 13:15 |
| Bullets fired | 67 | 13:15 |
| Students killed | 4 | 13:15 |
| Students wounded | 9 | 14:16 |
| Closest wounded distance | 60 feet | 14:16 |
| Farthest wounded distance | 750 feet | 14:16 |
Glossary
- ROTC
- Reserve Officers' Training Corps, a university officer-training program whose buildings were often targets of anti-war protests.
- National Guard
- The reserve military force of each U.S. state, often called up for domestic emergencies.
How to listen
Viewers interested in 1960s-70s American social movements, militarized policing, or historical conflicts, especially those concerned with abuses of power and civil rights.
The last 5 minutes, a Nebula promotion, can be skipped.