Four died, nine injured during shooting at Kent State University on May 4, 1970

MONROE, La. (KNOE) - On May 4, 1970, members of the Ohio National Guard fired into a crowd of Kent State University demonstrators. Four students were killed, nine others were wounded.

It triggered a nationwide strike of students at colleges and universities that led to a direct impact on politics.

According to a report by Kent State University, protests against the Vietnam War had started on May 1st. The protest was held on a large grassy area in the middle of campus known as the Commons. That night the protests in downtown Kent ended in violent confrontations between police and the protestors.

The next day the mayor of Kent asked the Ohio National Guard to be deployed to Kent State. By Sunday, nearly 1,000 Guardsmen were on campus. The protests continued with rocks, tear gas, and arrests creating tension.

Even though the University banned further gatherings, student protest leaders called for another rally at noon on May 4th. By 11 a.m., around 3,000 people were at the Commons. About 100 Ohio National Guardsmen arrived carrying military rifles.

When told to disperse, protesters shouted and threw rocks. Tear gas canisters were fired into the crowd. The Guard marched across the Commons to push protesters back. At the top of the hill 28 turned and fired their weapons.

Thirteen seconds later four students were dead. A group of faculty members talked with both the Guard leaders and the students. Twenty minutes later the students left the Commons. Ambulances took the wounded to the hospital.

The Kent State shooting rocked the nation. In 1970, it was the largest mass casualty shooting on a university campus of its time. The political impact stretched all the way to the following presidential campaign.