Kent State shootings: A day of tragedy
On May 4, 1970, four students were killed when National Guardsmen open fired on a crowd of people protesting U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. As we mark the 50th anniversary of this national tragedy, we look back, in Augmented Reality, at the events that unfolded that day.
Protests again the war were pretty common on college campuses in 1970. But the protests at Kent State campus and in the town of Kent had become violent in the days leading up to the May 4 shootings. Protesters clashed with police and National Guardsmen, scores of people were injured and arrested, and the ROTC building on campus was burned to the ground.
When Monday, May 4, dawned, another protest was brewing even though the university had banned the gathering. By 12:30 p.m., 13 people would be shot, four fatally.
The full interactive story replaying the deadly events of that day can be found within the Augmented Reality section of the USA TODAY app. To access "Kent State shootings: A day of tragedy":