Kent State Massacre 1970

 

By noon May 4, two thousand people had gathered in the vicinity of the Commons. Many knew that the rally had been banned. Others, especially commuters, did not know of this prohibition. Chants, curses and rocks answered an order to disperse. Shortly after noon, tear gas canisters were fired. The gas, blowing in the wind, had little effect. The guard moved forward with fixed bayonets, forcing demonstrators to retreat. Reaching the crest of the hill by Taylor Hall, the guard moved the demonstrators even farther to a nearby athletic practice field. Once on the practice field, the guard recognized that the crowd had not dispersed and that the field was fenced on three sides. Tear gas was traded for more rocks and verbal abuse.

The guardsmen then retraced their line of march. Some demonstrators followed as close as 20 yards, but most were between 60 and 75 yards behind the guard. Near the crest of Blanket Hill, the guard turned and 28 guardsmen fired between 61 and 67 shots in 13 seconds toward the parking lot. Four persons lay dying and nine wounded. The closest casualty was 20 yards and the farthest was almost 250 yards away. All 13 were students at Kent State University. The four students who were killed were Jeffrey Miller, Allison Krause, William Schroeder and Sandra Scheuer. The nine wounded students were Joseph Lewis, John Cleary, Thomas Grace, Alan Canfora, Dean Kahler, Douglas Wrentmore, James Russell, Robert Stamps, and Donald MacKenzie. Dean Kahler was permanently paralyzed from his injury.

The day before Allison Krause put flowers in a guard’s bayonet and said “Flowers are better than bullets.” She was right, bullets murdered her on May 4th.

Disbelief, fright and attempts at first aid gave way quickly to anger. A group of two hundred to three hundred demonstrators gathered on a slope nearby and were ordered to move. Faculty members were able to convince the group to disperse.

A University ambulance moved through the campus making the following announcement over a public address system: "By order of President White, the University is closed. Students should pack their things and leave the campus as quickly as possible." Late that afternoon, the county prosecutor obtained an injunction closing the University indefinitely.

10 days later Phillip Lafayette Gibbs, a 21-year-old prelaw student, and James Earl Green, a 17-year-old Jim Hill High School student, were killed in a burst of gunfire from local and state law enforcement on the campus of Jackson State College.

When the 28-second barrage ended, Gibbs lay dead near Alexander Hall, a residence hall, and Green on the opposite side of the street. Stray buckshot and shattered glass wounded 12 others, inside and outside the women's dormitory.

We can never forget and keep Speaking Truth To Power Long Live the Spirit of Kent and Jackson State! - in loving memory of my friend Alan Canfora.

Many of photographs of Kent taken by John Filo