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 Confused orders, outdated tactics, and armed confrontation turned a peaceful protest into bloodshed.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
National Guard armed presence on campus
On May 3, 1970, 850 National Guardsmen with M1 rifles, bayonets, and tear gas arrived at Kent State University, setting up on the football field to guard the ROTC building. The deployment angered students; even those not originally part of the protests felt the war had come to their doorstep. But students were not particularly afraid, because previously the Guard had handled demonstrations with tear gas or scuffles, never firing live rounds. This time, however, they carried live ammunition.
Confused orders, governor stoking the fire
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 to deploy the Guard was not official until May 5, while troops had arrived on May 3. There were serious disagreements among the university president, local government, and governor about 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 communication set the stage for the later conflict.
Last-minute rule change sparks standoff
On the evening of May 3, students gathered on the Commons to protest, but local authorities moved the curfew 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 on 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, resulting in at least two students stabbed and 68 arrested.
May 4: peaceful assembly resumes
On the morning of May 4, around 2,000 students gathered again on the Commons. Despite no official state of emergency, university officials distributed flyers declaring the assembly illegal. Guard commander General Canterbury insisted the demonstration was illegal, but students still spread word of the gathering via loudspeakers. By noon, the assembly was largely peaceful, aside from some vulgar chants. Campus police used loudspeakers to declare the assembly illegal and order dispersal, but the sound was drowned out, and a few rocks were thrown at vehicles. Canterbury then ordered two rounds of tear gas, but they missed, and the wind blew the gas away.
13 seconds of fire, 67 bullets
The Guard advanced to clear the area, successfully dispersing most protesters, but a group of 52 advanced too far and got trapped by a fence at the practice field, where they were pelted with rocks. After 10 minutes, they received orders to withdraw toward Taylor Hall. When they reached the top of the hill, 72 Guardsmen turned, raised their weapons, and fired for 13 seconds, a total of 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, with distances ranging from 60 to 750 feet.
One photograph changes America
After the shooting, there was dead silence; students stood frozen. 14-year-old Mary Ann Vecchio knelt over Jeffrey Miller's body screaming, and 21-year-old photography student John Filo captured the image, which became a nationally shocking picture. But the conflict did not end; protests spread across the country, followed by the hard hat riot and the Jackson State shootings. The program emphasizes that this history has striking parallels to the present, 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 |
| Number of students gathered on the Commons | 2,000 | 10:12 |
| Duration of 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 |
| 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.