Kent State Shooting – FBI and Government Documents

Description

Kent State: A Tragic Timeline

Detailed Timeline of Main Events at Kent State

• April 30, 1970: President Richard Nixon announces on national television that the United States is expanding the Vietnam War by targeting Cambodia. This announcement serves as a catalyst for increased anti-war protests.
• May 1, 1970: Students at Kent State University demonstrate against President Nixon’s decision to widen the Vietnam War.
• May 2, 1970:
• Student protestors at Kent State surround the barracks on campus that house the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC).
• Some protestors manage to set the ROTC building afire, destroying it.
• The National Guard is deployed and clears the campus.
• Some protestors leave the campus and cause property damage in the city of Kent.
• The mayor of Kent declares a state of emergency in response to the unrest.
• May 3, 1970 (Implicit): Students call for a demonstration on Monday, May 4th. This planned demonstration is subsequently banned.
• May 4, 1970:
• Despite the ban, approximately two thousand students gather to demonstrate on the Kent State campus.
• The Ohio National Guard attempts to disperse the crowd, which at its peak is estimated to be two to three thousand people, including spectators. The demonstration is protesting both the Vietnam War and the physical presence of the National Guard on campus.
• After dispersing the majority of the onlookers and protestors, the Guard fires sixty-seven shots in thirteen seconds.
• Four Kent State students—Allison Krause, Jeffrey Miller, Sandra Scheuer, and William Schroeder—are killed.
• Nine other students are wounded, with one student permanently paralyzed.

Cast of Characters

• Allison Krause: A Kent State University student killed by National Guardsmen on May 4, 1970, during the Kent State shootings.
• Jeffrey Miller: A Kent State University student killed by National Guardsmen on May 4, 1970, during the Kent State shootings.
• Sandra Scheuer: A Kent State University student killed by National Guardsmen on May 4, 1970, during the Kent State shootings.
• William Schroeder: A Kent State University student killed by National Guardsmen on May 4, 1970, during the Kent State shootings.
• President Richard Nixon: The President of the United States in April 1970, whose televised announcement on April 30, 1970, about widening the Vietnam War into Cambodia, served as a direct catalyst for the protests at Kent State University.
• Terrence Brooks Norman: A former Kent State University student and FBI informant. He has been the subject of speculation regarding his possible involvement in the May 4, 1970, shooting. FBI files contain his statements about his activity during the event.
• Ohio National Guard (collective): The military force deployed to Kent State University following the initial protests and destruction of the ROTC building. They were responsible for dispersing the demonstration on May 4, 1970, and for the fatal shootings of four students and wounding of nine others.